Grenada National Museum

The Grenada National Museum is to educate residents and visitors about Grenada, past and present - the land, the fauna and flora, the people, their origins, their technology, their festivals, the events that have shaped their lives. The Grenada National Museum was opened in 1976 by a group of citizens aimed at promoting public participation in museum development. The Museum building was constructed by the French in 1704 as an army barracks.

Grenada National Museum is one of those places that must be on the itinerary of any visitor to Grenada. You can’t miss it. It is on the corner of Young and Monckton Streets, right off the Carenage. The building has stood the test of three centuries and was once used as a prison in the 17th century. Inside, one can capture the past of Grenada and trace our heritage from the period of Columbus through colonization by the British and French, not forgetting our African forbearers, to the present day.

Permanent exhibits display artifacts from the Carib and Arawak presence, sugar processing machines, remnants of a whaling industry, Josephine Bonaparte’s marble bath, and many more items of historical significance.

Exhibit areas include:

Pre-Columbian

This predates European discovery attributed to Columbus on his third voyage, 15 August 1498. At the time of his “discovery,” the island was already inhabited by the Ciboney, Arawak and Carib peoples.

Colonial Period

Colonists included French and British and the establishment of a plantation economy, which concentrated on the production of crops for export to Europe through the use of enslaved Africans.

Post Colonial

Grenada achieved its independence in February 1974, had a coup d’etat in March 1979, which led to the Revolutionary Government. This collapsed in October 1983, after the slaying of then Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, some of his ministers, and other members of the public, which subsequently led to a joint American-Caribbean military intervention.

Photographs from Grenada National Museum

Address and Contact:

THE GRENADA NATIONAL MUSEUM
Corner Young and Monckton Streets
St George's, Grenada, West Indies
Phone: (473) 440-3725
Opening Hours: Mon - Fri, 9.00 am to 4.30 pm and Sat, 10.00 am to 1.00 pm
Price: Full EC$5.00, child EC$2.00