Bridgetown Landmarks and Monuments

(Bridgetown, Saint Michael, Barbados)



Bridgetown has more patriotic monuments and memorials than any other city in Barbados. Defining sights like Emancipation Statue and Independence Arch headline the list of landmarks and tend to be much-photographed by sightseeing tourists.

The Parliament Buildings are even more impressive and they are actually among the oldest of their kind in the British Commonwealth. Many of the buildings in Bridgetown date to the earliest colonial days and exhibit much character.


Da Costa Building

Address: Broad Street, Bridgetown, Barbados
Tel: +1 246 430 4844
This heritage building was completed in the late 19th century and is an attractive and very notable piece of Georgian colonial architecture, complete with a pink facade and ornate veranda. Today, it houses a few dozen shopping venues of interest to tourists and is certainly worth a look if you are in the Broad Street area.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 08:30 to 17:00, Saturday - 08:30 to 13:00
Admission: charge

Emancipation Statue

Address: St. Barnabus Roundabout, Bridgetown, Barbados
Tel: +1 246 427 2623
This potent monument commemorates the uprising of 1838, which was a catalyst for the abolition of slavery on the island. The Emancipation Statue is slightly removed from the city centre and perched over the sugar cane fields where this famous revolt began. The subject is Bussa, the slave who was responsible for organising the revolt.
Open hours: daily - 06:00 to 20:00
Admission: free

Independence Arch

Address: Chamberlain Bridge, Bridgetown, Barbados
This imposing landmark was built in the 1980s to celebrate more than 20 years of independence for Barbados. The Independence Arch is an imposing structure that really is quite impossible to miss, and is emblazoned with several national icons. Symbols on the main pillars include relief work of the flying fish, the pelican and the bearded fig tree - all symbols of Barbados.
Open hours: daily - 06:00 to 20:00
Admission: free

National Heroes Square

Address: National Heroes Square (formerly Trafalgar Square), Broad Street, Barbados
This ornate plaza is to be found just across from Barbados Parliament buildings. The central monument recognises ten heroes of Barbados, who strove with the country in its quest for independence. There is also a war memorial here, built after the two World Wars to commemorate those who lost their lives in these historic battles.
Open hours: daily - 06:00 to 20:00
Admission: free

Parliament Buildings

Address: National Heroes Square, Broad Street, Barbados
Tel: +1 246 427 2019
These impressive buildings were built in the early 1870s, at a time when Bridgetown was rapidly developing. The parliament body itself dates from 1639, making it the third-oldest parliament in the British Commonwealth. The interior of the Parliament Buildings is rather ornate, with stained-glass windows and portraits of past British monarchs.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 08:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Law Courts

Address: Coleridge Street, Bridgetown, Barbados
Tel: +1 246 427 2623
The Law Courts join the Royal Barbados Police headquarters, and the resulting structure was originally a combined prison, court and house of legislation. It is possible to catch an actual hearing here, rather more interesting than most tourists might imagine. The officials certainly dress for the part, wearing traditional wigs and robes.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 08:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Montefiore Fountain

Address: Montefiore Fountain Square, Bridgetown, Barbados
This fountain has an interesting history. It was donated to the city by businessman John Montefiore in the 1860s, and has since been moved from its original location on Broad Street to its current location on Montefiore Fountain Square. However, the fountain no longer has any water features.
Open hours: daily - 08:00 to 20:00
Admission: free