The Museum of
Belize, located in downtown
Belize City (Gabourel Lane), and on the grounds
of the Central Bank of Belize, was the country’s
first national museum, inaugurated in 2002.
The Museum is housed in a refurbished British
colonial prison built in 1857 and evacuated
in 1993.
What used to be a dwelling for inmates is now
where valued Belizean treasures are on exhibit.
Both permanent and rotating collections are
on display. Maya Masterpieces is a permanent
museum collection that spans the ancient Maya
civilization from 600 B.C. to A.D. 1500. Many
artifacts displaying the legacy of ancient Maya
achievements are exhibited. Rotating exhibits
include “Insects of Belize” a colorful
collection of butterflies, including the spectacular
Blue Morpho, and “Stamps of Belize”
which, features a stamp commemorating the Coronation
of King George VI (1937).
The Museum of
Belize has retained its link
with the past as each window of the structure
signifies a cell that was built for one inmate.
One cell has been restored to give visitors
a glimpse of what prison life used to be like.
The Museum of Belize is open from 9:a.m
to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Admission is US
$5.00. For more information call 501-223-4524.
