For more than 100 years this merchant-run salt fish complex served as a key economic force behind Bonavista's inshore fishery. The Ryan family made their fortune buying and curing salt cod and selling it all over the world. It's a history deeply ingrained in the walls of the waterfront storehouses and in the memories of Newfoundland fishing families. For five centuries the commercial fishery has profoundly influenced the settlement and economic development of Newfoundland and Atlantic Canada.

In its heyday, the Ryan Premises stood at the centre of the fishing industry -- a thriving business in one of Newfoundland's largest fishing communities. It was here that fishermen and their carts loaded with salt fish lined the road waiting for their catch to be graded and purchased, and then shipped to Spain, Portugal, Italy and the West Indies for sale.

Michael Ryan immigrated to Newfoundland from Ireland and in 1857, went into business with his son James. It was a business venture which grew into the mercantile empire known as James Ryan Ltd. In 1869, James Ryan purchased the current 21,144-square-metre waterfront property, which he developed into a self-contained mercantile complex.

The complex included a manager's residence, retail shop, retail store, fish store, carriage shed, and a salt store. With the development of frozen technology on the 1930s, the market demand for Newfoundland salt fish declined to a point when James Ryan Ltd. withdrew from the fishery in the early 1950s. It continued to survive by selling merchandise from groceries to television sets. James Ryan Ltd. closed its doors in 1978.

In 1997, the doors of the Ryan Premises opened once again. Using artifacts, exhibits, photographs, film, art exhibits and theatre, Parks Canada has turned the old premises into a powerful and fascinating site, depicting the area's rich history and the economic and social impacts of the east coast fishery.

Orientation Centre

Visitors begin their tour at the Orientation Centre where Parks Canada guides welcome them and introduce them to the site. While in the orientation centre, visitors may view and exhibit photographs taken by Manfred Buchheit. The photographs, selected from his retrospective Mapping a Sense of Place 1972-1995, explores the artist's sense of space and open spaces in his adopted home of Newfoundland and Labrador. Visitors are also treated in the Orientation Centre to a selection of songs spawned by Newfoundland and Labrador's cod and seal fisheries. Sung by four of the province's best-known musicians - Jim Payne, Pamela Morgan, Fergus O'Byrne, and Anita Best - these beautiful songs bring to life the musical heritage connected with fishing and sealing in Newfoundland.

Retail Store - Bonavista Historical Society Museum

The second floor of the Retail Store houses the Bonavista Historical Society Museum. Visitors are invited to explore the fascinating history of life and work in one of Newfoundland's oldest inshore fishing communities. Established in 1969, the museum began when Jack Miles donated his large personal collection of artifacts and documents. The museum continued to grow steadily, and continues to grow, as local residents donate historical treasures from their homes and properties. The artifacts displayed in the museum offer a glimpse into the lives of fishing families in Bonavista in the eighteenth and early twentieth centuries. The inshore codfishery has always been the foundation of Bonavista's development and the Bonavista museum reflects this reality with its displays. As well, visitors to the museum will find displays on domestic life, medicine and dentistry, and other trades such as carpentry, coopering, and blacksmithing. The museum preserves the heritage of a dynamic and historic community of people who continue to construct their lives from the bounty of the ocean.

A major attraction in the Bonavista Museum is a multimedia floor-to-ceiling work entitled Fragments from the Inshore Archives, features the sculpture From the Hand of the Father to the Hand of the Son -- a body-cast of the hands of a 78-year-old fisherman and his son intertwined with fishing lines and nets. The piece also includes drawings, written material, and maps of trawl berths and rocks in the Bonavista area's fishing grounds. This work is an expression of Pam Hall's interest, love and concern for the people and environment of coastal Newfoundland.

Fish Store - Second Floor

The second floor of the Fish Store contains exhibits dealing with the 500-year-old North Atlantic Fishery off Newfoundland. Visitors are invited to learn about the global significance of Newfoundland and Labrador's cod fishery from the 16th century to the present day. Some of the themes include: the life cycle and biology of codfish, the growth of the inshore fishery and outport Newfoundland, and the ever-evolving methods for catching and processing fish. The exhibition features National Film Board video presentations in both French and English, text and graphic panels, artifact displays, dioramas, and even an aquarium containing live codfish.

Proprietor's House

Across the street from the main Premises buildings sits the Proprietor's House and surrounding property. According to oral tradition the house was built by James Ryan in 1861, making it the oldest surviving building at the Ryan Premises. The exterior and interior of this magnificent three-storey house has been completely restored. The house is open and visitors are welcome to walk around the grounds and take in some of the beautiful scenery.