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- Swedish-era exhibits: The core of the collection covers the years when Sweden ran the island as a free port. Documents, prints and objects show how the colony worked and why Gustavia was named for King Gustav III.
- Old maps and engravings of Gustavia: Early charts of the harbor let you compare the original street plan with what you just walked through outside. The hand-drawn detail of the anchorage is the best part.
- Costumes and the quichenotte: The white fabric bonnets and long dresses of island women come from Norman and Breton roots. They are displayed up close, so you can see the stitching and the shaped brim that kept sun off the neck.
- Pre-Columbian and archaeological pieces: Objects from the island's earliest inhabitants show that people lived here long before any European flag arrived.
- Swedish-era exhibits: The core of the collection covers the years when Sweden ran the island as a free port. Documents, prints and objects show how the colony worked and why Gustavia was named for King Gustav III.
- Old maps and engravings of Gustavia: Early charts of the harbor let you compare the original street plan with what you just walked through outside. The hand-drawn detail of the anchorage is the best part.
- Costumes and the quichenotte: The white fabric bonnets and long dresses of island women come from Norman and Breton roots. They are displayed up close, so you can see the stitching and the shaped brim that kept sun off the neck.
- Pre-Columbian and archaeological pieces: Objects from the island's earliest inhabitants show that people lived here long before any European flag arrived. They are small, but they push the timeline back considerably.
- Historic photographs of island life: Black-and-white images of fishing, farming and village streets show a quiet, working Saint Barthélemy. Spend a few minutes on the ones of Gustavia before development.
- The house itself: The building is part of the exhibit, with thick walls that keep the rooms cooler than the street.
- The Carenage setting: Step outside and the museum opens onto the working harbor, where moored boats and the waterfront cafés give you a view of the same anchorage you saw on the old charts.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.