Pembroke tourist information
Pembroke Parish is Bermuda's most populous region. It is home to the islands' capital, Hamilton, a small, bustling city and arguably one of the prettiest ports in the world. Front Street is the town's main thoroughfare, it runs along the harbor and is bordered by charming two-story buildings in eye-catching pastel hues that are home to sophisticated boutiques, restaurants and other businesses.
You'll have no trouble making your way around Hamilton on foot, most of the attractions here are within easy walking distance of one another. You could start at Albuoy's Point, named for the family that once owned the small peninsula of land found behind The Bank of Bermuda on Front Street. This is where the Visitor's Service Bureau is found, as well as the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and the ferry dock. Albuoy's Point is also known locally as Point Pleasant thanks to the landscaped park that sits at the tip of the peninsula.
Nearby, on Queen Street, is Par-la-Ville Park, a garden oasis lovingly preserved within city limits that dates back to 1814. Its tidy lawns and tree-shaded paths are a favorite with the area's business folk come lunchtime. If you enter the park from Par-la-Ville Road, you'll go through a vine-covered moongate built in the 1920s. Adjacent to the park on Queen Street is the Bermuda National Library and next door, the Perot Post Office, buildings which belonged to Bermudian postmaster, William B. Perot, in the 19th century. Perot became famous for creating the first Bermudian postage stamp, but he much preferred tending the gardens of Par-la-Ville Park, essentially his backyard. The Bermuda National Library's collection includes rare books, as well as a variety of current periodicals and newspapers from Bermuda and abroad. Nearby, also on Queen Street, are the Bermuda Historical Society Museum, a small museum with an impressive collection of old Bermudian silver and antique cedar furniture, and the Bermuda National Trust's gift shop, Trustworthy, where you can purchase high-quality Bermudian handicrafts and other souvenirs.
One of Bermuda's most impressive landmarks, City Hall is located on Church Street. The building is crowned with a bronze replica of the Sea Venture, shipwrecked off these uninhabited islands in 1609, and is home to the Bermuda National Gallery. Located on the second floor, the gallery has five exhibit spaces that house both permanent and rotating exhibits of Bermudian art, as well as international artworks. The gallery also presents a regular program of readings, small concerts, lectures, slide shows and films; it is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Just down the street is the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, an inspiring neo-Gothic edifice that is the seat of the Anglican Church in Bermuda. The elaborate reredos, a decorative partition located behind the altar, features a striking central figure of the Lord flanked by 14 saints, and the pulpit is a replica of the one in St. Giles, Edinburgh, Scotland. For a $3 fee you can climb the church tower's 155 steps for a spectacular view of Hamilton. The cathedral is open daily and for Sunday services; its tower is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Nearby on Parliament Street is the imposing Sessions House, a meeting place for both the House of Assembly and the Supreme Court. The building's simple Georgian architecture, which dates back to 1815, has been enhanced over the years by the addition of towers, including the dominant clock tower, and an Italianate design. Visitors are welcome at the House of Assembly and at the Supreme Court Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. At the Supreme Court, located downstairs in the Sessions House, you'll see Bermuda's judges wearing full wigs and red robes and lawyers wearing short wigs and gowns, maintaining a tradition of formality that dates back to the 17th century.
Fort Hamilton can be reached via Victoria and King streets and Happy Valley Road. Built in the 1860s, it boasts a great view of the city of Hamilton and Hamilton Harbour. On Mondays during the months of November through March, the Bermuda Islands Pipe Band performs a Skirling Ceremony at noon to greet visitors to the islands. The talented Highland Dancers move to the traditional, enchanting bagpipe music of Scotland and Ireland. The fort is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admittance is free.
On the outskirts of Hamilton, about a 15-minute walk from downtown, is one of Bermuda's most engaging attractions - the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute. Built at a cost of $20 million and completed in 1997, this 40,000-square-foot facility boasts interactive and multimedia exhibits revealing the secrets of Bermuda's waters. Of particular interest are a capsule that simulates a 12,000-foot dive through video, motion, light and sound, an interactive map that indicates the locations and dates of Bermuda's many shipwrecks, and the Lightbourne Shell Collection, featuring nearly 3,000 seashells from around the world, generously donated by Bermudian Jack Lightbourne. A must-see for visitors of all ages, the institute's other exhibits include the history of underwater exploration, examples of underwater craft such as a full-scale bathysphere, and descriptions of marine life living at different depths of the oceans. Once you've worked up an appetite exploring the many fascinating offerings, you can enjoy fine dining and panoramic views at La Coquille, the institute's waterfront restaurant, which is open for lunch and dinner. There are also two gift shops found here - The Logo Shop and the Ocean's Gift Shop. The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (tickets are sold until 4 p.m.).
Pembroke aerial map
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