Bowring Park is the heartbeat of St. John’s. In the park, you’ll find much history and a lot of entertainment. The man-made Duck Pond is fed by the Waterford River and is the home of numerous fish and waterfowl. You may enjoy feeding the ducks, swans and geese that are permanent guests of the city.

Next to the duck pond at the lower end of the park, notice the bridge, as it is the first concrete bridge ever constructed in Newfoundland. The famous statue of Peter Pan in Bowring Park is a memorial to Sir Edgar Bowring's godchild, Betty Munn.

The young girl was one of 94 people who died when the S.S.Florizel struck a reef and capsized during a winter gale off the Southern Shore community of Cappahayden.

On July 15, 1914, the date the park was officially opened, the Duke of Connaught planted a Linden tree close by the Peter Pan statue. Under the tree sits the Connaught Stone, originally used by Sir Richard Squires (Prime Minister of Newfoundland from 1919-1923 and again from 1929-1932) as a gravestone for his two dogs. One of the dogs' names, "Humber", is still visible on the stone.

The cast iron trough in Bowring Park, surrounded by cobblestones from Water Street, serves a drinking fountain for visitors. However, these same type of troughs used to located around the city for horses. Off the paved road are some Shadow Pools, which were designed by landscape architects to give a startling reflection even on the cloudiest of days.

The statue of the Caribou is a replica of the one in Beaumont Hamel, France which honors the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who fought there in the Battle of the Somme in 1916 incurring huge casualties.

At the heart of Bowring Park is the Bungalow, a historic building surrounded by beautiful lawns and gardens. The newer section of the park contains recreation facilities, including an outdoor swimming pool, softball pitch, playground and lawn bowling green.