Rawson Square is a natural place to begin exploring Nassau, and a meeting-point for guided walks. Nearby is a life-sized bronze statue of a Bahamian Woman holding a child, which honors the role of women during ‘years of adversity.’ In the center of the square is a bust of Sir Milo Butler, the first governor-general of the independent nation, and a fountain pool with leaping bronze dolphins. Parliament Square, the seat of government, lies immediately south.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Clifton Heritage National Park
13.83 MILES
The scrub forest, wetlands, beaches and historic relics of Clifton Heritage National Park narrowly avoided being bulldozed to make space for new tourist…
National Art Gallery of the Bahamas
0.47 MILES
Anchoring the West Hill St tourist enclave, the National Art Gallery is a welcome oasis inside the stately 1860s-era Villa Doyle and one of the gems in…
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0.43 MILES
Wandering into this cigar factory is like falling into 1920s Cuba. In a narrow, smoke-yellowed room with old-fashioned mosaic floors, torcedores (cigar…
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0.55 MILES
Watling's, relatively new to the Bahamian rum-distilling game, has found a home in the beautifully restored 18th-century Buena Vista Estate, its extensive…
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0.58 MILES
Between downtown Nassau and Arawak Cay, Junkanoo is popular with locals and visitors alike, with beach-shack bars, volleyball nets, sky-juice vendors and…
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Fort Fincastle & the Queen’s Staircase
0.34 MILES
Set on a small hill just south of downtown Nassau, this small fort was built by Lord Dunmore in 1793 to guard the harbor against invaders. Never used, it…
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1.06 MILES
Strolling through a glass tunnel while sharks glide overhead is, simply put, awesome. This thrill is found in the Predator’s Lagoon, one of the exhibits…
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0.25 MILES
It's hard to ignore the pirate pacing outside and posing for selfies on the pedestrianized strip off George St. The walk-through exhibition space trades…
Nearby Nassau attractions
0.04 MILES
The area immediately south of Rawson Sq on Bay St is known as Parliament Sq. On three sides of the square nestle three pink-and-white Georgian…
0.07 MILES
The historic cruise-ship wharf, north of Rawson Sq and Bay St, is the gateway to Nassau for more than a million visitors a year. Fronted by bustling…
0.12 MILES
For chills with your historical thrills, stop by this 1797 pink octagon, once a jail and workhouse for the poor. The cells are now tranquil reading nooks,…
4. Bahamas Historical Society Museum
0.22 MILES
Documents, household artifacts, pirate engravings, model ships and more tell the story of 500 years of life in the Bahamas at this small but engaging…
0.23 MILES
Thought to be the oldest surviving residence in Nassau (it dates to just after the American Revolution, and was built by Loyalists fleeing the fledgling…
6. Pompey Museum of Slavery & Emancipation
0.25 MILES
Located in the Vendue House – a queen-conch-pink building from the 1760s in which slave auctions were once held – this one-room museum features…
0.25 MILES
It's hard to ignore the pirate pacing outside and posing for selfies on the pedestrianized strip off George St. The walk-through exhibition space trades…
0.32 MILES
This splendid Georgian mansion, residence of the governor-general, surmounts Mount Fitzwilliam (central Nassau's low hill) like a festive pink cake…