-->
Thursday, March 28, 2024
spot_img
HomeUncategorizedDon't Miss Caribbean Museums

Don’t Miss Caribbean Museums

You know you want it...

Mocka Jumbies and Rum...

- Advertisement -

If you’re planning on spending a significant period of time on one of the Caribbean islands, then a trip to the local museum is a valuable way to understand your surroundings. Shuffling among the artifacts can put things in perspective, too – repairs, it appears, have always been costly, parts have always taken too long to arrive, and prices have always been too high!

In this issue, we pick some of the better museums in which to lose yourself…

St Maarten Museum

This compact, three-story museum in an early 19th century house has artifacts on the wreck of HMS Proselyte as well as a sobering display about 1995’s Hurricane Luis. From further back, you’ll find Arawak pottery, displays about the men and women who built St Maarten and plenty of knickknacks from the Dutch colonial ear. Entrance $1. Front Street, Philipsburg.

- Advertisement -

Tel: (599) 542-4917 www.speetjens.com/museum

Nelson’s Dockyard Museum, Antigua

A stroll around the magnificent Nelson’s Dockyard is one of the must-sees of Caribbean, but the museum, on the site of the Naval Officer’s house in English Harbour, is not to be overlooked, either.

The museum houses an excellent display that runs from the first arrivals by boat – the Arawaks in 900 AD, through Nelson, to the closure of the Yard in 1889, before the local yachting and charter industry began in the 1950s. From Nelson to Nicholson, this is a breathtaking collection maintained by some devoted volunteers. Entrance free.

Saba Rock Nautical Museum, BVI

Run by diver Bert Kilbride, who has located over 91 local wrecks, Saba Rock has a respectable collection of shipwreck artifacts, in particular from HMS Rhone, which went down in 1867

Tel (284)-495-7711.  www.sabarock.com

Barbados Museum, Bridgetown, Barbados

Located at the Garrison, just outside Bridgetown, the Barbados Museum boasts over 270,000 artifacts from Amerindian, plantation and colonial times. There are 7 galleries housed in this former military prison, including rare books, photography, and African heritage displays.

Tel: 427 0201

Brimstone Hill, St Kitts

Once known as the ‘Gibraltar of the West Indies’, Brimstone Hill Fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in 1690, Brimstone Hill was the British outpost responsible for defending St Kitts against the French.

Entry $8.

Tel: (869) 465 2609 www.brimstonehillfortress.org

Nelson Museum, Charlestown, Nevis

Run by the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society, the Nelson contains the largest collection of Nelson memorabilia in the New World – prints, porcelain, ships models, they’re all here.

Tel: (869) 469-0408

Pigeon Island Museum and Interpretative Centre, Rodney Bay, St Lucia

Located in a former British Officer’s mess, Pigeon Island has a good collection of artifacts from Admiral Rodney’s time. Situated on the Pigeon Island National Park, this is a great place to help understand the roots of the island’s dual French/British culture.

Entry $4

Tel: (758) 452-5005

American-Caribbean Museum of St Thomas

From the discovery of the Virgins by Columbus to the sale of the islands to the US in 1917, and beyond, exhibitions at the American-Caribbean museum bring the history of the island alive. Entry $7. Raddets Gade, (off Main Street), Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas.

(340) 714-5150

Whim Plantation Museum, Frederiksted, St Croix

An 18th century plantation set among 12 acres, Whim Museum brings home the industry that transformed much of the Caribbean as a whole. Typical of the sugar plantations belonging to the Danish West Indian Company, the plantation house, mills and ruins provide a vivid picture of plantation life.

Tel: (340) 772-0598

www.stcroixlandmarks.com

Kura Hulanda Museum, Curacao

A stunning exhibition with a close link to African heritage. Although the museum encompasses the main cultures within Curacao, the outlook is far more global, putting the Kura Hulanda up there with any metropolitan museum.

Entry $6.

Tel: (599) 9 434-7765 www.kurahulanda.com

- Advertisement -

Don't Miss a Beat!

Stay in the loop with the Caribbean

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED ARTICLES

So Caribbean you can almost taste the rum...

- Advertisment -
- Advertisment -spot_img

Recent Posts

Recent Comments