Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean sea. Following Cuba and Hispaniola, Jamaica is the third-largest island in the Caribbean Sea. It was under Spanish rule from 1494 to 1655, then Colonized by the British from 1655 to 1962. Jamaican architecture was seriously affected by colonization and modernization. The diverse Jamaican vernacular and British architecture rallied on the streets of Kingston (capital city) and the other towns of this island country. Places to visit in Jamaica has a vast global music presence because of its local music culture, which results in building many music museums like the famous Bob Marley museum.
Here are 15 must-visit places in Jamaica:
1. Bob Marley Museum | Places to visit in Jamaica
Situated at 56 Hope Road, Kingston, Bob Marley Museum is dedicated to famous reggae musician Bob Marley. The museum was constructed on the site of a failed assassination attempt on singer Bob Marley. The main museum displays Bob Marley’s valuables. It also has a photographic gallery, a record and gift shop, and an eighty-seat well-equipped theatre.
2. Devon House
Situated in St. Andrew, Devon House was a former residence of the first black millionaire of Jamaica, George Stiebel. Devon House has been restored and utilized as a house museum. The mansion has a mixed touch of Caribbean and Georgian architecture. Later, it was declared a national monument in 1990 by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust.
3. Emancipation Park | Places to visit in Jamaica
Emancipation Park is a public park inaugurated a day before Emancipation day to celebrate the abolition of slavery. The park sits on a six-acre site that includes large sculptures, public art, and fountains.
Male and female sculptures were installed at the park to celebrate the men and women of jamaica.
4. Fort Charles
Fort Charles is located at Port Royal of Jamaica. Surrounded by water along the sides, it is built in the shape of a ship. The red-bricked irregular fort walls once stood guard, resisting invaders and threatening them with a cell of high-caliber guns strategically placed around the boundary. The fort has undergone numerous hurricanes and earthquakes, resulting in some natural variations.
5. Falmouth courthouse | Places to visit in Jamaica
Falmouth Courthouse currently serves as the courthouse, town hall, and parish council building. Designed with Jamaican Georgian architectural style, the courthouse’s architecture consists of fanlights, jalousies, shingled walls, and Tuscan columns.
It is a Palladian-style building having a central block and a ground-floor arcade fronted by a large central portico. An eight-day clock was once housed in a round-covered opening in the center of the portico pediment.
6. Gloucester Avenue
Gloucester Avenue sits on the bank of the Caribbean sea in Montego Bay. It is also known as Montego Hipstrip Gloucester Avenue. It consists of shopping complexes, Music, and Entertainment zones. The avenue also hosts the infamous Doctors Cave Beach, Which has white sand and translucent water.
7. Halse Hall
Halse Hall is the Plantation great house situated in Clarendon, Jamaica. Also known as (Hato De Buena Vista), the house once served as the reassembling point for the defense. Halse Hall is the oldest British building standing in Jamaica, Which currently serves as a residence.
The Ground of Halse Hall is now a burial ground that contains the tomb of Major Thomas Halse and Thomas Halse.
8. Montego Bay Cultural Center | Places to visit in Jamaica
The Cultural Center was a former civic center and present cultural heritage site of Montego Bay. Built with the Georgian-Jamaican style of architecture, it is a cultural museum that displays the history and artifacts of Montego Bay.
Paneled Windows, a well-proportioned facade and a traditional gable roof are the key architectural features of the building.
9. National Gallery of jamaica
Displaying artwork of John Dunkley, Edna Manely, Carl Abrahams, and various artists from Jamaica, the National Gallery of Jamaica is a public art museum situated in Kingston, Jamaica. The museum provides educational programs on Jamaican art and culture. The building hosts thematic exhibitions, Guest-curated exhibitions, and retrospectives of work by various Jamaican artists.
10. Pelican Bar | Places to visit in Jamaica
Hoisted above the deep ocean, Pelican Bar is the dream bar of its owner, Floyd Forbes. The Bar was built with wood, with the support of wooden piles. The Pelican Bar is about one mile away from the land.
Showcasing Jamaican and vernacular architecture, it is one of the unique bars erected on the Jamaican island.
11. Rose Hall Great House
Rose Hall is a house museum in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The museum displays the slave history of the Jamaican Territory. Built with the Jamaican-Georgian style of architecture, it has a well-balanced front facade. The Building was constructed on a high elevation that allows extensive sea views.
12. Spanish Town
Spanish Town is the biggest town of St. Catherine, jamaica. It hosts various memorials, national archives, and many Anglican churches. It served as the capital for both Spanish and English colonies.
The historic architecture and street names here are influenced by the colonial period and Spanish rule.
13. Shaare Shalom Synagogue | Places to visit in Jamaica
A synagogue in the capital city of Jamaica is also known as the United Congregation of Israelites. It hosts a museum of Jamaican Jewish history. The synagogue was built in the Jamaican-Georgian architectural style with a well-balanced front facade and wall front. Romanesque details are embedded at the front of the shul.
14. Trench Town Culture Yard Museum
Trench Town Culture Yard Museum is located in Trench Town, Jamaica. Built by the Central Housing Authority of Jamaica, the culture yard sits on 200 acres of the site.
The Culture Yard hosts a small museum that displays the history of Trench Town and the instruments used by singers Bob Marley and Tata Ford. In 2007, Trench Town Culture Yard was declared as a National Heritage Site.
15. Holy Trinity Cathedral | Places to visit in Jamaica
Built with the Jamaican-Georgian style of architecture, Holy Trinity Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church in Kingston, Jamaica. This church is unique in Kingston because of the copper dome that sits at the top.
Beautiful rose windows are installed at the front facade of the church. The church interiors include beautiful stained glass work and religious artwork carved on the walls and ceilings.
