Saint-James Rum Museum

The Saint-James estate at Sainte-Marie keeps a rum museum in a creole house of the nineteenth century, covering the history of the industry, the square bottle the brand has used since the eighteenth century and the process from cane to cask. A small train runs from the site through the cane fields to the banana museum when it is operating. The working distillery is beside the museum and can be seen during the cane season.

What you actually see

• The creole house museum - the nineteenth-century building holding the collection.
• The square bottle - the shape the brand has used since the eighteenth century.
• The cane train - the small line running out through the fields.
• The working distillery - production visible on site during the cane season.

When to go

January to June is the cane season when the distillery runs. The train operates seasonally and not every day. Sundays and holidays have reduced hours.

Honest expectations

The train does not always run and should not be counted on. Outside the cane season the distillery is idle. The museum is dated in places.

Nearby

Fond Saint-Jacques is nearby, and the Sainte-Marie tombolo is on the coast.