#curacao Curacao is much more than sun, sea and sand. It also has a wide range of cultural offerings. Curacao's museums are as varied as the island itself. Curacao has a long and rich history whose aspects can be seen in many of its museums. Visiting a museum is a fun way to learn more about Curacao's history, for example, when it comes to local art or what life was like at sea. To help you, we've created a list of 10 museums in Curacao that shouldn't be missed if you're interested in Curacao's culture.

Curacao Museum.

The Curacao Museum is the first museum on the island. For a long time, he was also the only. The colonial museum building is decorated with traditional mahogany furniture from the 19th century. Wandering around here is an experience in itself: you breathe history. The Curacao Museum focuses on Western influences within the culture of Curacao, for example, in the field of art. You can see many paintings by international and local artists. Ancient utensils of the ancient Indians are even exhibited. The Curacao Museum is one of the best preserved time capsules on the island.

Curacao Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum of Curacao is a must-have experience for anyone who loves ships, history and maritime life. The ideal location of Curacao (many international trade routes converge here) and good ports have constituted an impressive maritime history. The Maritime Museum of Curacao transports you 500 years back in time by showing models of old ships, navigation systems and nautical charts. You can take a tour of the museum or embark on a cruise through the port.

Kura Hulanda

At first glance, Curacao may look like a great melting pot of cultures. The local language is a combination of Spanish, Dutch and English. People live in the Caribbean, but have Dutch nationality and skin color does not really say anything about their ancestry. It is true that this sounds like a melting pot. In the Kura Hulanda anthropological museum you can learn more about why. From the first inhabitants of the island to the important role played by the slave trade (Dutch).

Jewish Cultural Historical Museum

Curacao has a large and active Jewish community. A national treasure is the beautiful Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue; the oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere (and it is still in use). The Jewish Cultural Historical Museum is a part of the synagogue and exhibits many valuable artifacts of Jewish history. The synagogue and the Jewish Cultural Historical Museum share the same entrance, so both are definitely worth a visit.


Tula Museum

The Tula Museum is named after a slave woman, Tula, who led the anti-slavery revolt from the same plantation that has now become the museum. You may have heard of the film Tula: The Revolt, starring Danny Glover. A guide transports you to the era of slavery, telling stories and providing information about preserved objects. The interactive tour is quite unique, because everything took place right where it is. It is a piece of history that will always remain relevant to Curacao's culture.

Kas di Pal'i Maishi

Kas di Pal'i Mashi is a small museum in a traditional adobe house with thatched roof. Kas di pal'i maishi literally means house of corn stems and branches, because the roof was made of it. The rural population of Curacao lived in houses like these until 1950. Some have been preserved and even restored. Open from 10 a.m.. at 2 a.m.. Closed on Mondays.

Savonet Museum

The Savonet Museum tells the story of the first inhabitants of Curacao: the Arahuacos Indians. Over 4000 years ago they stepped on Curacao for the first time and therefore are still part of the story. Through antiques, images and information, past and present go hand in hand at the Savonet Museum.

Octagon Museum

For a time, the two sisters of the Venezuelan “Liberator", the famous Simon Bolivar, lived in the octagonal building by the sea, while Bolivar worked and studied in a small house on a hill overlooking the busy port of Willemstad, the island's capital. The house on the hill where Bolivar worked no longer exists, but the “Octagon" (which over the years became the name by which this landmark is known) on the beach facing the vast continent across the blue Caribbean has withstood the passage of time quite well. The “Octagon" has been carefully restored by the Curacao Monuments Foundation and the Avila Beach Hotel, on whose grounds are the property. Today, the museum serves as a small museum in memory of Curacao's connection with Simon Bolivar, and is open several mornings a week. The place can also be rented for weddings or other meetings

Curacao Postal Museum

The Postal Museum of Curacao is a very unique museum. In it you can see old stamps, mailboxes, scales, etc., everything related to the postal service of the Netherlands Antilles. Special international exhibitions with stamps from around the world are held here twice a year. Maybe you can send a holiday card to your family and friends at home from here, as was previously done.

Yotin Korta

Curacao has always been an island where many nationalities come together. This can not only be seen in the language, but also seen in the history of payment methods. In the Yotin Kortá currency museum, this story is visible from its beginnings to the present; from seashells to the Netherlands Antillean guilder.