Landmarks in the Bahamas

The Bahamas was a territory of the United Kingdom during the American Revolution, which allowed British loyalists to flee the 13 colonies and settle in the Bahamas

Many of the landmarks and historic sites on the islands speak to this time period in the form of forts and architecture, paying homage to loyalists and their slaves whose decedents now populate the islands. Take a break from lying on the beaches and baking in the Bahamian sun to visit a few such sites and learn about this era in Bahamian history and beyond.

Museums

If you like to explore other people and places, you might enjoy visiting a museum while on vacation in the Bahamas. Click on the each name to obtain more information.

One popular destination is Wyannie Malone Museum. It is Hopetown, in northwestern the Bahamas. Named after Hope Town's founder, this museum showcases the history of the area with photography and artifacts. They host events for the island's Heritage Day and track the genealogy of the Malone family.

Many travelers also choose to visit Pirates of Nassau. It is found in downtown Nassau. Pirates of Nassau is open 9:00 am to 6:00 pm daily, except Sunday, when they close at noon.

Bahamas Historical Society Museum: Exhibits at the museum feature collections of historic relics including a coat of arms, the islands' Declaration of Independence, stone slabs featuring petroglyphs, and scale models of historic ships.

The chart below enables you to get more details on some museums to choose from in the area.

Historical Sites

Enjoy exploring the history of foreign countries? If that's the case, you might enjoy visiting some of these historical attractions while on vacation in the Bahamas.

A landmark worth visiting is Cloisters. It is situated on Paradise Island, the Bahamas. The Cloisters are the ruins of a French Monastery with a lot of history. Built in the 1300's, the ruins did not find their way to the Bahamas until the 1960's.

Another interesting landmark worth visiting is Fort Montagu. It is located in Nassau, the Bahamas. As the oldest still standing fort on New Providence, Fort Montagu is rich in history. Its most famous event was when the fledgling US Navy captured the fort in 1776, took its cannons and brought them to then General Washington's army.

Queen's Staircase: There is something that takes your breath away when you look at the hand carved steps that lead up to Fort Fincastle. Visitors from around the world come here daily to honor the strife of slaves, and remember the terrible history of slavery.

Take a moment to read the table below for information concerning sites of historical interest in the Bahamas.

Miscellaneous Landmarks

Visitors may experience some other intriguing landmarks in this area.

A landmark worth visiting is Sacred Spaces: Women & Welcome. It is located in the Bahamas. Sacred Spaces is unique in that sculptor Antonius Roberts did not transport these awe-inspiring sculptures to the space and set up an exhibit. Instead, with a reverence for the Bahamian landscape and the history of the island, he carved the sculptures of stoic slave women out of Casuarina trees that were eroding the island's shoreline.

Another popular destination is Grand Bahama Labyrinth. It is a part of Garden of the Groves and Garden of the Groves, in western the Bahamas. The Labyrinth is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except on Fridays when it stays open until 10:00 p.m.

Memorial Sculpture Garden: The Memorial Sculpture Garden contains 24 busts of important Bahamians who represent different islands. The centerpiece of the garden is two life-sized bronze statues of a black girl and a white girl, one holding a conch and the other the Union Jack.

The table directly below enables you to get more details regarding other kinds of places of interest to visitors.

Keep in mind, you'll find some other types of attractions. Make your way to this extended discussion dedicated to even more attractions if you're interested in learning additional information.

Unique Architecture

Located in Nassau (near Fort Fincastle) is a unique landmark called Queen's Staircase. This structure is a staircase of 65 limestone steps dedicated with Queen Victoria. It was built in the late 1700s by slaves who were forced to shape the steps without the proper tools to do so.

In the Versailles Garden on Paradise Island is the Cloisters. Once a 14th century monastery in France, it was imported piece-by-piece to the islands in the 1920s and made its home at the garden in the 1960s.

Located inside another garden in the Bahamas is the Grand Bahama Labyrinth. The Labyrinth was designed after the Christian Chartres Labyrinth, and stands with the purpose of providing a location for visitors to find their spiritual center, meditate, and focus on the power within themselves.

The cu de gra of sites that honor the memory of the British loyalists and slave workers who helped free the Bahamas from Spain and build up the island is the Memorial Sculpture Garden. Located on Green Turtle Cay, the garden features sculpted busts and full-sized statues of memorable figures of this time period.

Both beautiful and awe inspiring, each landmark in the Bahamas is a piece of history that guests can revisit time and time again. Whether you find architecture fascinating, or enjoy standing on the same grounds that those who sacrificed to make the Bahamas the country it is today, a visit to these sites is a memory that will stay with you forever.