The Nassau Public Library

The octagonal building on Shirley Street was put up in the late 1790s as the colony's jail, and it worked as one until 1873, when it was converted into the public library. The conversion was economical: the cells became the book alcoves, so the shelves sit in what were the prisoners' rooms, arranged around a central space under a domed ceiling, with a spiral stair connecting the floors. It holds a collection of Bahamian material including old newspapers, colonial records and photographs, along with a small display of Lucayan artefacts and historical documents. It is still a working public library, quiet and used by students.

Highlights

• The octagonal plan - the 1790s jail building and its dome.
• The cell alcoves - former prison rooms now holding the shelves.
• The Bahamian collection - newspapers, records and photographs.
• The small museum display - Lucayan artefacts and documents.

When to go

Year-round on weekdays; it keeps limited hours and closes at weekends. Mornings are quietest. It takes half an hour and sits directly beside Parliament Square, so it fits into any walk through the centre.

What to expect

It is a small working library, not a museum, and the historical displays are modest and dusty. Hours are limited and it is closed at weekends when most visitors have time. The building is the attraction rather than the collection. Funding is clearly thin.

Nearby

Parliament Square is next door; the Queen's Staircase is uphill.

Key facts