Inside the Grenada National Museum, you’ll learn about the island’s diverse, colorful history through a collection of artifacts, including Amerindian pottery shards, sailors’ rum stills, and the flotsam and jetsam of the island’s many occupying forces over the years. Plus, the historic building boasts its own interesting and varied past.
Dating back to 1704, the museum building was a prison, army barracks, and hotel before it became the Grenada National Museum in 1976. With a focus on archaeology and history, the museum features sections on the indigenous inhabitants of the island, the colonial period, and slavery, with items such as canons from British and French battles, and copper used during the slave era to process sugarcane. There’s also a display on the 1983 US invasion.
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This is a small museum that can be visited in under an hour.
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The museum charges an entrance fee for adults and children aged 5 to 16. Admission is free for children under 5.
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Ideal for history buffs, the museum touches upon the complex history of Grenada.
The Grenada National Museum is in St. George’s, on the west bank of the Carenage. It’s a short walk from the cruise ship terminal and easily accessible from other St. George’s main attractions. Taxis and public minibuses are readily available from the area. The central bus station in St. George’s is about 15 minutes’ walk from the museum.
The museum is open Monday through Friday, 9am to 4:30pm, and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. Weekly activities include folk and dance performances. As with most attractions in the area, the more cruise ships there are in port, the more crowded the museum will be.
Just a couple blocks away from the museum lies the Carenage, St. George’s waterfront promenade. There, you can watch the daily activities of the busy harbor filled with boats, yachts, and barges, as you stroll past stores, seafood restaurants, and cafés. You’ll find souvenirs, duty-free bargains, spices, preserves, and local crafts.
