Kura Hulanda Museum

Kura Hulanda Museum is the Caribbean's most extensive museum as well as one of the most beautiful historical sites in Curaçao dedicated to the slave trade and the Middle Passage, as well as the region's greatest anthropological collection on Africa. The museum, which opened in 1999 and is set on a former slave yard and merchant's residence, was founded by Dutch philanthropist Jacob Gelt Dekker. The spine-chilling Middle Passage part begins outside with a reproduction of slave pillars for public whipping and continues indoors with exhibits highlighting Curaçao's role as the slave trade's epicenter, as well as the instruments used to capture, brand, and punish slaves. For an extra $3, master storyteller Yflen Florentina will take you on a tour of the museum while telling you dramatic tales from Curaçao's darkest history.

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade is depicted in its entirety at this museum, from slave capture in Africa to the Middle Passage and resettlement in the New World. The museum Kura Hulanda also exhibits how Curaçaoan and Caribbean communities have been affected by African and diverse cultural heritage until today.

Kura Hulanda Museum is divided into two sections: one dedicated to the history of African slavery, which is the focus of the guided tour, and the other housing an excellent collection of African artifacts, allegedly the best in the Caribbean, including masks, fetishes, bronzes, musical instruments, and so on.

Location: Willemstad