Nassau Sights: Forts, Squares and Gallery

October 18, 2026

Plan for daylight. Washington rates The Bahamas Level 2, “Exercise Increased Caution”, because of crime, and the FCDO says not to walk outside the main tourist areas and beaches, especially alone. The old town near Bay Street is patrolled by police. See it between morning and mid-afternoon and use a licensed taxi when it is dark. Current wording is on the US advisory page and the FCDO safety page .

Nassau’s sights are forts, colonial public buildings, a few small museums and a gallery. They are spread between the cruise port in the centre and the west of the island, so it helps to decide how much time you have. Amounts are in Bahamian dollars, which equal US dollars.

If you have two hours near the cruise port

Rawson Square and Parliament Square hold the pink colonial government buildings and a statue of Queen Victoria. The Nassau Public Library close by is an octagonal building that started life as a jail and was finished around 1800. Entry is free, though one tourism listing shows it shut on Sundays, so check first.

The Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation is a walk of about six minutes from the cruise port, at Bay and George Streets. The Vendue House, built before 1769, was a market where goods and enslaved Africans were sold until the late 1800s. A fire closed the museum in 2011, and it reopened in 2014. The museum carries the name of Pompey, an enslaved man who led an 1830 revolt on Exuma. Reported hours are 9:30am to 4:30pm on most days, a short Thursday and a Sunday closure. Reported admission is a few dollars. Please confirm both, and allow quiet time inside.

If you have half a day

Fort Charlotte is on West Bay Street about a mile west of downtown, and is the largest fort on New Providence. Built in the late 1780s under Lord Dunmore and named for George III’s queen, it has a moat, dungeons, underground passages and 42 cannons that were never fired in anger. Adults pay $5, seniors $3 and children under 12 $2. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm every day. On Wednesdays and Fridays a living-history scene begins at 11:30am and ends with a noon cannon firing. Guides work for tips. The Bahamas tourism page lists the details, and Route 10 jitneys pass the gate.

Fort Montagu on Eastern Road dates from 1741 and is the oldest fort still standing on the island. Free tours run daily from 8am to 3pm, according to the tourism board.

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas occupies Villa Doyle on West Hill Street, opposite St Francis Xavier Cathedral. General admission is $10 for non-residents, with $7 for residents and $5 for seniors and students, and children under 12 are free. It closes on Mondays and public holidays and opens 10am to 5pm on Sunday, with last entry at 4:30pm. The gallery’s admission page has the rest.

Fort Fincastle and the Queen’s Staircase

Fort Fincastle stands on Bennett’s Hill, about 15 minutes’ walk from the cruise port, and the Water Tower beside it is part of the same site. A government-funded renovation began in March 2025 and has overrun its January 2026 target. One tourism board page calls the fort and the Queen’s Staircase temporarily closed, while another lists the fort as open from 8am to 4pm. Check with the Nassau Paradise Island board before you head up the hill. No fee is quoted here because none is confirmed.

The Queen’s Staircase has about 65 steps, and sources count 64, 65 or 66 because paving covers the bottom one. Around 600 enslaved Bahamians cut it from limestone in 1793 and 1794 as a route between the fort and the town. It is named for Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837, and a restoration in 2024 added a water feature, lighting and signage. Walk it as a memorial to forced labour.

Booking a guide

For a guided city tour, browse Nassau sightseeing tours .