Local Register
Magnetic Hill
Moncton, New Brunswick
Also known as Magnetic Hill Road, rue Magnetic Hill
This photo of a car coasting “up” Magnetic Hill appeared in the August 10, 1933 edition of the Telegraph-Journal newspaper in Saint John. It represents the first widely published report and photos of this phenomenon.
Photo: Moncton Museum
- Recognized
- 2004
- By
- Local government
The register’s text, word for word
Description
Magnetic Hill is an unpaved rural road approximately, one-half kilometre in length, at the foot of Lutes Mountain in Moncton.
Heritage value
Magnetic Hill was designated for its properties as a naturally occurring phenomenon and its subsequent impact on the tourism and commercial development of the area.
Due to the slopes and grades localized at the foot of Lutes Mountain, Magnetic Hill creates the illusion that automobiles and other objects, including running water, apparently travel uphill. Although known by local farmers for its odd properties since the 1800’s, Magnetic Hill did not become a tourist destination until discovered by Saint John’s Telegraph-Journal newspaper editor John Bruce and two reporters Stuart Trueman and Jack Bayley in August of 1933. Their resulting article was the first widespread report and photos of Magnetic Hill, creating a tourism industry for this area in the north end of Moncton. A local couple Muriel Lutes and her husband Lou Sikorsky are credited with understanding the value of this tourist attraction and launching the commercial development of the area surrounding Magnetic Hill.
Due its uncanny natural illusion and surrounding family oriented commercial development, Magnetic Hill is also designated for being one of the top three visited natural attractions in Canada.
SourceMoncton Museum, Moncton, New Brunswick - second floor files – “Magnetic Hill Rd.”.
Character‑defining elements
The character-defining elements relating to Magnetic Hill’s designation as a naturally occurring phenomenon and its subsequent impact on the tourism and commercial development of the area include:
- the illusion created by slopes and grades in natural landscape at the foot of Lutes Mountain;
- original unpaved rural road closed to thru-traffic;
- mature natural landscaping along rights-of-way.
End of the register’s text
Location
Magnetic Hill Road, Moncton, New Brunswick, E1G, Canada
46.13583° N, 64.88944° W
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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.