Barbados Museum & Historical Society

Written by Julie Greiner

Outside of Bridgetown you will find the Barbados Museum which is a must see stop when visiting Barbados. The galleries are housed in a period building on well manicured grounds. There are many galleries within the museum depicting the island's rich history. The Historical Society also sponsors many diverse activities.

Many Gallery Displays

There is a Children's Gallery, a Map Gallery and a Temporary Exhibition Gallery. The newest is Connections - Africa and its People in the Caribbean. This collections includes a collection of fascinating African antiques and crafts and shows the generations

Courtesy Barbados Museum

of displacement of their people. This display just opened in April of 2001.

Archaeological Excavation

Imagine spending part of your vacation on an actual archaeological excavation! You can register to be a volunteer and actually take an active part in the activities. And/or you can visit the Research Library which displays rare West Indiana material dating back to the 17th Century. There are books, maps, photographs, genealogical records and archival documents. The Library is open weekdays.

The Historical Society sponsors an Art Festival annually each December. This festival features local works of art and crafts. The art is mostly very colorful and depicts local lifestyles. The local art displayed is all for sale at the festival. The diverse art and craft mediums are treasured throughout the world. The art shows the many sides of this beautiful island that is home to over a quarter of a million people. The
Museum Art Displayed
Courtesy Barbados Museum

museum art displays bring to life the the island's vivid rich history.

The Museum Shop

The Museum Gift Shop contains a treasure of memories of your vacation that you can take with you. Authentic art is offered in abundance. The Museum's Heritage Gift Collection includes books and journals consisting of antique prints and maps of Barbados. There is also a series of greeting cards - the Classic Card Collection. This collection of cards is made up of six different beautiful images from the Museum's classic art collection. There are West Indian books, reproductions of many of the paintings, prints and maps that are on display. Barbadian crafts are also in abundance and the jewelry is very unique to Barbados. The Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on the museum and special tours and activities call: (426) 427-0201.