In a stately 1750 courthouse, this modest museum traces the history of Antigua from its geological origins to its political independence in 1981. The hodgepodge of objects includes Arawak pottery, models of sugar plantations and the cricket bat of hometown hero Sir Viv Richards. On display outside are four narrow-gauge locomotives from the early 20th century once used to transport sugarcane.
Museum of Antigua & Barbuda
Antigua
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
7.77 MILES
After a 90-minute walk through the rainforest (or by a far shorter stony path from Springhill Riding Stables in Falmouth) you'll arrive at one of Antigua…
Nelson’s Dockyard National Park
9.42 MILES
Continuously in operation since 1745, this extensively restored Georgian-era marina is Antigua's top sightseeing draw and was made a Unesco World Heritage…
11.77 MILES
Water the color of blue curaçao laps this white crescent in the remote southeast. Bodysurfers head to the south end, snorkelers to the calm waters north,…
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10.15 MILES
This restored military lookout and gun battery was named after Sir Thomas Shirley (1727–1800), who became the first Governor of the Leeward Islands in…
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6.45 MILES
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6.07 MILES
Built by the British around 1900, this Victorian-style dam originally created a reservoir holding 13 million gallons of water and supplied it to…
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7.6 MILES
Ponder Antigua's colonial past while poking around a restored stone windmill, as well as remnants of the Great House, the distillery and other buildings…
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5.42 MILES
This pretty palm-lined beach has calm, shallow aquamarine waters and powdery white sand. It's a popular excursion for cruise-ship guests, for whom water…
Nearby Antigua attractions
0.12 MILES
Created in 2016, this car-free square is dominated by a boat-shaped red-granite monument that honors Sir Vere Cornwall Bird and the other men and women…
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This twin-spired cathedral is St John’s most prominent landmark. What you see today is the third house of worship on the site. The original wooden one…
3. Monument to Sir Vere Cornwall Bird
0.27 MILES
This colorful monument on a little triangular plaza near the public market honors the man who became independent Antigua and Barbuda's first prime…
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1.41 MILES
Fort James, a small stronghold at the north side of St John’s Harbour, dates back to 1706, but most of what you see today was built in 1739. Still…
1.88 MILES
If you're keen on escaping the all-inclusive crowds at busy Dickenson Bay, head south beyond a small bluff to Runaway Bay, where the beach is just as…
2.5 MILES
Antigua's busiest beach is backed by a long line of low-rise hotels and resorts, most notably the vast all-inclusive Sandals resort. Naturally, there's no…
2.74 MILES
Lorded over by the ruins of Fort Barrington, this curvy little – and often deserted – bay is backed by a large salt pond and has a beach with gray-yellow…