The Barbados Museum

The museum occupies the British military prison built in the 1820s beside the Garrison savannah, and the building is part of the story: the galleries are the old cells, arranged around a courtyard, with the original ironwork still in place. The collections cover the island from the Amerindian settlement, with a strong Saladoid and Suazoid ceramic holding, through the sugar and slavery period, which it addresses directly rather than around, and into the twentieth century. There are maps, prints, a reconstructed planter's house interior and a gallery of Barbadian art. It is run by a historical society rather than the state, and it shows in the care.

What you actually see

• The prison cells - the galleries themselves, with original ironwork.
• The Amerindian collection - ceramics from the island's first settlers.
• The slavery and sugar galleries - handled directly rather than obliquely.
• The map collection - early charts of the island and the region.

When to go

Year-round; open most days with reduced weekend hours. Mornings are quietest. Two hours covers it comfortably. It is air-conditioned, which makes it a good option in the heat of the day.

Honest expectations

It is a modest-sized museum and the displays in parts are dated, with funding clearly limited. Labels vary in depth. It sits in the Garrison rather than in Bridgetown proper, so it needs a short taxi or a walk in the heat. Cruise days bring groups.

Nearby

The Garrison savannah is next door; Bridgetown is fifteen minutes north.