The National Museum

The national museum, which is located on historic Front Street in Cockburn Town, Grand Turk, is the country's only museum (aside from a minor satellite location on Providenciales). The museum was founded in 1991 at Guinep House, one of Grand Turk's oldest structures still standing and it is considered one of the most beautiful historical sites in Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Molasses Reef Wreck, which is the oldest excavated European shipwreck in the Americas, was discovered to the southeast of West Caicos, prompting the establishment of the museum. The wreck site of this Portuguese or Spanish caravel was substantially damaged by explosives during an illicit treasure hunting expedition in the early 1970s after it was discovered. The Molasses Reef Wreck's surviving armaments and relics are now on display in the museum.

There are many exhibits in this museum about the Turks and Caicos' later history, including early European and Loyalist settlers, the Trouvadore slave ship, British Colonial and Victorian-era periods, and astronaut John Glenn's historic 1962 splashdown with the Friendship Seven space capsules. Spanish coins from the 1600s, vintage postal stamps, historical flags, primitive diving and wreck recovery equipment, and more are among the artifacts on display.

The Museum Shop is one of Grand Turk's top gift shops, and it's a must-visit if you're shopping for gifts. It serves as an official shop for the Middle Caicos Co-op, offering locally created baskets and other trinkets. Local writers' books (history and children's titles) are also available.

The national museum is now available to the public. Cruise passengers and guests staying on Grand Turk pay $5 per person, while everyone else pays $7. Children under the age of 12 who are accompanied by an adult are admitted free of charge.

Location: Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands