Museum of Belize

We were recently in Belize City and decided to make a stop at the Museum of Belize. Located in downtown Belize City at the north end of Queen Street near the Central Bank of Belize, the Museum was built in 1857 as Her Majesty’s Prison and housed prisoners until 1993.  It was reopened as the Museum of Belize in 2002. 

The museum houses some of Belize’s most treasured artifacts.  One the first floor we were taken on a journey through time, learning more about the tiny settlement to the bustling country it is today, through photographs, stories, tools, and household items and other artifacts.  Also very interesting was the quite extensive stamp collection of the country dating back to 1837.   The second floor houses Belize’s permanent collection of the best artifacts recovered from the country’s Maya sites.  This included ceramics, carved flint, stelae, stone jewelry, and jade carvings.  There is a replica of the Jade Head found at Altun Ha, the original is located in a vault at the Central Bank.  We were amazed at the sizable insect collection and display.  This is a must see for any insect enthusiast. 

We had a great time touring the Museum of Belize, and we can’t believe it has taken us this long to check out the place.