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St. Andrews, often called St. Andrews by-the-Sea, is a resort town on Passamaquoddy Bay in southwestern New Brunswick. Loyalists laid out its grid in 1783, and many early buildings survive, some reportedly floated over from Maine. By the late nineteenth century it had become a fashionable summer retreat, and the grand Algonquin hotel still crowns the hill above town.
Water Street runs along the shore with shops, restaurants and whale-watching outfitters, and the orderly town grid makes it easy to walk. The Charlotte County Courthouse and Old Gaol recall early justice, while the Ross Memorial Museum displays decorative arts in a period home. Pendlebury Lighthouse stands on the waterfront, and near the Algonquin an ancient shell midden marks long Indigenous presence. Kingsbrae Garden is a widely admired horticultural garden, and the Huntsman Marine Science Centre lets visitors learn about Fundy marine life. The Atlantic Salmon Interpretive Centre and the St. Andrews Biological Station highlight the area's research tradition.
At low tide, a gravel bar exposes a road to Ministers Island, where railway magnate William Van Horne built a summer estate, so tide tables matter. St. Andrews suits couples and travelers who enjoy history, gardens and whale watching. The season runs mainly from late spring to early fall.
WiserMap travel guideSt Andrews New Brunswick Kingsbrae Garden and TidesVisit St. Andrews, New Brunswick: a Loyalist seaside town with Kingsbrae Garden, Ministers Island, Water Street, marine science and Passamaquoddy Bay boat tours...Read the guide
The main street of St. Andrews by-the-Sea, lined with shops, galleries, cafés and seafood restaurants in historic buildings along Passamaquoddy Bay. The town was laid out in a grid by Loyalists in 1783. Walk out to the town wharf and side streets to see the many heritage houses.
A handsome 1840 Greek Revival courthouse, still in use, and the stone jail beside it, one of the oldest surviving in Canada. The old gaol now holds the county archives, with exhibits on local history. Summer tours show the courtroom and the cells. Check hours, as they are mainly seasonal.
A wooden blockhouse built during the War of 1812 to defend the town against American attack, now a National Historic Site on the shore. It is the last survivor of several built here. The grounds are open for a look at any time, and the walk along the beach to reach it is pleasant at low tide.
A white wooden Presbyterian church from 1824, known for the carved green oak tree on its tower and its fine interior with a mahogany pulpit. It was built by a local sea captain and named after Greenock in Scotland. Look for it a block up from Water Street, and step inside when open.
A Neoclassical 1820s house holding the collection of an American couple who summered in St. Andrews, with fine furniture, rugs, paintings and decorative arts. It shows how wealthy summer residents lived. It is open in the warmer months. Allow about an hour for the rooms and garden.
The public aquarium of the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, showing Bay of Fundy sea life, from harbor seals and sharks to lobsters and touch tanks with sea stars and urchins. Feeding times for the seals are a highlight. It suits children well and takes one to two hours.
A small wooden lighthouse from 1833 at the tip of the town, one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in New Brunswick. It sits in a little park facing the bay, a good spot to watch the huge Fundy tides change the shoreline. Go around sunset for the best photos across the water.
A grand Tudor-style resort hotel on the hill above town, first opened in 1889 when St. Andrews was a fashionable summer retreat. Its red roof dominates the skyline. Non-guests can visit the lobby, terrace and restaurants, and the resort's seaside golf course is among the oldest in Canada.
An award-winning 27-acre garden with themed beds, a hedge maze, a woodland, a working Dutch windmill, alpacas and an art gallery and sculpture collection. It is one of the top public gardens in Canada. Plan two hours or more, and stop at the café for lunch with garden views in summer.
A tidal island that you can drive or walk to across the sea floor at low tide, once the summer estate of railway builder Sir William Van Horne. You can tour his large house, the windmill, the round bathhouse and the huge stone barn. Check the tide times carefully so you are not cut off.
A sheltered beach on the edge of St. Andrews where the cove is held back from the bay by a dam, so the water is warmer than the open ocean. It is a favorite family swimming spot in summer, with a small beach and picnic area. Check local notices on access, as facilities have changed over the years.
Boat tours leave the St. Andrews wharf from June to October to look for minke, finback and humpback whales, porpoises, seals and seabirds in Passamaquoddy Bay and the outer Bay of Fundy. Choose between larger boats and zodiacs. Dress warmly, as it is cold on the water even in summer.
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