Barbados Museum and Historical Society
Home of Barbadian Heritage and Culture
Fine Art
Located in the Cunard Gallery and the Warmington Gallery, this collection is perfect for the art lover. Rich with paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramics, and textiles, the fine art collection focuses on historical art created in Barbados and the Caribbean, and includes collections from pioneer Barbadian artists as well as prominent Caribbean creatives. The ceramic collection features classic pieces from Wedgewood as well as international collections of fine china and porcelain.
Social History
A collection brimming with archaeological artifacts, period furniture, maps, ephemera, Barbadian craft and domestic ware, historic photographs and postcards cannot be housed in one gallery. Together the Jubilee Gallery, Military Gallery, and the African Gallery house this expansive collection that covers areas such as historic Bridgetown and tells a story of the diversity of the historical and cultural experience of this island.
Natural History
One of our earliest donated collections, the Watson Collection of shells has blossomed into the Natural History collection. Housed in the Harewood Gallery, this collection displays a diverse collection of life, flora and fauna to tell the story of Barbados’ natural environment.
Offsite Collections
There are several offsite collections owned and maintained by the Museum that expand our understanding of Barbados’ historical landscape and they are located across the 166 square miles that make up our beautiful island. You can visit:
Gun Hill Signal Station
Artifacts from the military collection can be seen on display at Gun Hill signal station, including defense weapons and insignia.
A collection of ephemera, objects, and documents related to the history of cricket can be seen on display at the Cricket Legends Museum.
Concorde Experience (temporarily closed)
A wide collection of artifacts related to the Concorde, British Airways, and other areas of Barbados’ aviation history are displayed here on loan to the Grantley Adams International Airport for the Concorde Experience.
Foursquare Folk Museum (temporarily closed)
A diverse collection of folk and Barbadiana artifacts and replicas can be found on display at the Folk Museum at Foursquare Rum Distillery.
Numismatic & Freemason History
History, culture, and currency go hand in hand in this interactive collection housed at The Exchange. Currency, wax figures, documents, and interactive displays combine to tell the historical stories of important figures in Barbados such as Rachel Pringle and London Bourne, discussing their entrepreneurship as freed people of colour. Dive into the history of friendly societies like the meeting turn and the landship and relive the transformation of currency from gold to the paper currency in use today. Learn more about the structures of Bridgetown including The Central Bank of Barbados and the historic Church Village Green and delve into the mystery of the Exchange’s 16th century home, which was the first Harrisons’ Free School and a former freemason lodge.
Study
Housed in the Education Office, this interactive collection contains touchable artifacts which can be used by students for tactile experiential learning. With realistic replicas and common artifacts from the Museum’s other collections, this collection is a wonderful hands-on educational experience.