Museums in Curacao

Curacao is rich in history and culture. There are numerous museums that tell the history and lore of the lovely island. Museums housed in ancient buildings display interesting artifacts that reflect Curacao's culture & history. Here is a list of some of the museums in Curacao;

1: Kura Hulanda

This museum is located at the harbor area of Willemstad in Klipstraat 9. The site was previously used by the Dutch entrepreneurs to trade and ship African slaves along with other commercial goods. The displays include exhibits on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, from slave capture in Africa through the Middle Passage and relocation in the New World.

Tel: 462-1400

Fax: 462-1401

E-mail: kurahulanda@interneeds.com

Website: www.kurahulanda.com

2: Tele Museum

This museum is located at the central Punda area in Willemstad. Housed in a beautiful renovated building, the museum is owned and operated by the island's telecommunications company. Displays include an exhibit tracing the history of telecommunications on the island from the first telephone in the 1880s to late 20th century inventions such as fiber optic cables, computerization and teleconferencing. Admission is free.

Wilhelminaplein, Punda

Tel: 465-2844

3: Jewish Cultural Historical Museum

This popular museum is part of the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, the oldest such establishment still in use in the Western Hemisphere. The museum displays an impressive collection of religious artifacts from the congregation's history such as Torah scrolls and Hanukkah lamps, along with other antique personal and household items.

Hanchi di Snoa 29, Punda

Tel: 461-1633

Fax: 461-1214.

Website: www.snoa.com

4: The Curaçao Museum The Curaçao Museum is located in the western part of Otrobanda in a historic building that dates back to 1853. This huge museum is also Curaçao's largest and displays works of the traditional and contemporary, local and foreign artists.

Other exhibits include a collection of antique period furniture that includes some exquisite mahogany pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries, antique maps of Curaçao and the Caribbean, and Indian art.

5: Maritime Museum

This most recent museum in Curacao is located in a mansion dating back to mid 18th Century on the Waaigat inlet, just above the Floating Market. The museum is built is a maritime style with a gangplank, portholes and ship railings in wood and brass. Video presentations and multimedia displays introduce you to Curaçao's maritime history are also shown in the museum. Exhibits include antique miniatures, 17th Century ship models, and maps dating from the 1500's. Other highlights include representations of Spanish rule, the conquest of Curaçao by the Dutch and formation of the Dutch West India Company, the evolution of Willemstad as a naval base and maritime trading center, its development in the 20th century along with a projection of the future of the city. The Museum has its own ferry for tours of the harbor and for carrying passengers from arriving cruise ships to the Museum.

Van Brandenburgstraat.

Tel: 4652327.  

6: Postal Museum

Located in the Punda area in capital city of Willemstad, this museum is housed in a building dating late 17th Century. This decade-old Postal Museum is established on the ground-floor of the restored Keukenstraat/Kuiperstraat buildings built in Dutch style that exude the charm of the bygone era reflected in its wooden gallery, gable, typman and the apartments on the upper floors. This picturesque museum features a complete collection of stamps from the Netherlands Antilles and other countries, and related artifacts like old post boxes and scales. A special exhibit of theme stamps from around the world changes four times a year.

Kaya Toni Prince, Punda.

Tel: 465-8010

Fax: 461-7851.

7: Numismatic Museum

This museum is centrally located in Punda, Willemstad. It is owned and operated by the Central Bank of the Netherlands Antilles and houses an impressive collection of coins that have been in use in the Netherlands Antilles and coins and bank notes of other countries. Precious and semi-precious gemstones are also on display among other exhibits. Admission is free.

Breedestraat 1, Punda

Tel: 461-3600

Fax: 461-5004.

8: Fort Church Museum

This museum is located behind the historic Fort Church, dating back to 1769, within the Fort Amsterdam in Willemstad. It houses a small collection of artifacts from the church's Dutch Protestant congregation, active since 1635. It includes antique silver chalices and a mahogany baptismal font, and a collection of old maps of the island.

Tel: 461-1139

Fax: 465-7181