A flow visualization study using the oil film method and the smoke-laser light sheet arrangement is carried out to investigate the three-dimensional flow pattern around the free end surface region of a finite circular cylinder (aspect ratios of 1.25 and 4.25) mounted on a flat plate. The experiment is performed for the cases of two Reynolds numbers: 5.92${ imes}$10$^3$and 1.48${ imes}$10(sup)5. Various kinds of singular points on the free-end surface are disclosed from the oil surface flow visualization. The smoke-laser light sheet visualization, to aid in understanding the oil streak-line patterns, clearly demonstrates that a pair of tornado-like vortices marched along the downstream together with a pair of side tip vortices. A topological sketch to characterize the surface flow and the four vortices emanating from the top surface is included.