Islands National Museum
The Islands National Museum aims to maintain, research and divulge the cultural heritage of the Cayman Islands. The museum was opened in 1990 in George Town’s former court house from the 19th century. A large proportion of the exhibits on display today were collected by hobby collector Ira Thompson in the 30s – in 1979 the government bought Thompson’s collection, which finally formed the core of the current collection. You can see over 4,000 exhibits - from tiny coins to a 14-foot sailing boat.
In addition to the unique exhibits you can also marvel at the turbulent history of the Cayman Islands. Alongside Cayman discoverer Christopher Columbus, who christened the island “Las Tortugas” after the many tortoises, the museum tells the story of fierce attacks by pirates. Famous buccaneers such as Henry Moore used the countless caves and crannies of the island for themselves and their treasure, mainly gold and silver pieces from Spanish galleons, which you can still marvel at today in the museum. The museum also naturally refers to this wild past: plans, maps and small animations provide good insights into the time of the buccaneers.
