Nassau Historic Forts, Museums and Galleries

October 18, 2026

Stay alert. Washington gives The Bahamas Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) for crime, and London’s FCDO tells visitors not to walk outside the main tourist areas and beaches, especially alone. Downtown Nassau has regular police patrols, so see the sights by day and take a licensed taxi after dark. Wording is current on the US advisory page and the UK safety page .

Nassau’s main sights fall into three groups: forts, small museums and galleries, and the colonial centre around the cruise port. All prices are in Bahamian dollars, which trade at par with US dollars.

Sights at a glance

Fort Charlotte: West Bay Street, about a mile west of downtown. $5 adults, $3 seniors, $2 children under 12. Daily 8am to 4pm.
Fort Montagu: Eastern Road. Free tours daily 8am to 3pm, per the tourism board.
National Art Gallery of The Bahamas: Villa Doyle, West Hill Street. $10 general, $5 seniors and students. Closed Mondays.
Nassau Public Library: free, check hours because a tourism listing shows it closed on Sundays.
Fort Fincastle, the Water Tower and the Queen’s Staircase: renovation work, so call ahead or check with the tourism board.

The forts

Fort Charlotte is the biggest fort on the island. Lord Dunmore had it built in the late 1780s and it carries the name of King George III’s queen. Walkers find a moat, dungeons, underground passages and 42 cannons that never fired in aggression. A living-history scene takes place on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:30am and closes with a noon cannon. Guides expect tips. Jitney Route 10 stops nearby, and the Bahamas tourism listing carries the details.

Fort Montagu, built in 1741, is the oldest fort still standing on New Providence.

Fort Fincastle stands on Bennett’s Hill, about a 15-minute walk from the cruise port. A renovation of the fort and Water Tower started in March 2025 and had not been confirmed complete at the last check. One tourism page calls the site temporarily closed and another lists it open from 8am to 4pm, so verify its status on the Nassau Paradise Island site before climbing.

Memorial sites

The Queen’s Staircase holds about 65 steps (sources vary between 64 and 66) that roughly 600 enslaved Bahamians carved from limestone in 1793 and 1794. It is named after Queen Victoria and was restored in 2024. Pause here as you would at any memorial.

The Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation lies at Bay and George Streets, around six minutes on foot from the cruise port, inside the Vendue House where enslaved people were bought and sold. Opened in 1992, damaged by a fire in 2011 and reopened in 2014, it is named for Pompey, who led an 1830 revolt on Exuma. Its listed hours are close to 9:30am to 4:30pm on most weekdays, with a short Thursday and Sunday closed, and its fee is reported as a few dollars. Check both.

Government buildings and the library

Rawson Square and Parliament Square display pink colonial buildings and a statue of Queen Victoria. The Public Library next door is octagonal. It began life as a jail and was completed about 1800.

Tours

Guided city tours save legwork. Compare listings through a Nassau tour search .