Parliament Buildings, Bridgetown

Parliament Buildings, Bridgetown (must see)

The Parliament Building sits just north of the Careenage on Broad and Rickett Streets. The building was built between 1870 and 1874, but the island's Parliament was established in 1639. That makes it the third oldest Parliament in the Commonwealth. The building is a protected building and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Historic Bridgetown.

The oldest part of the neo-Gothic Victorian-style building is the East Wing, completed in 1873. This is where the chambers of the Senate and House of Assembly are located, which still meet weekly. Over the years, many other offices have been here, too, including the post office, central bank, and public library.

Inside the House of Assembly chambers, you can see stained glass windows showing British sovereigns from the time of James I up to Queen Victoria. In the Senate, the windows show the armorial bearings of past Presidents of the Council and Speakers of the House of Assembly.

The West Wing currently houses the National Heroes Gallery and the Museum of Parliament. In the past, it has housed offices for government officials like the Colonial Secretary and Treasurer, Provost Marshal, and Comptroller of Customs.

The clocktowers and bells above the West Wing were originally located on the East Wing but were moved in 1886. Poor soil at the previous location caused the tower to begin to sink within ten years of being built. The tower is built from coral limestone and is a prominent landmark throughout town.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Bridgetown. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Parliament Buildings on Map

Sight Name: Parliament Buildings
Sight Location: Bridgetown, Barbados (See walking tours in Bridgetown)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Bridgetown, Barbados

Create Your Own Walk in Bridgetown

Create Your Own Walk in Bridgetown

Creating your own self-guided walk in Bridgetown is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Garrison Historic Area Walking Tour

Garrison Historic Area Walking Tour

St. Ann's Garrison, more commonly known simply as "The Garrison", is a small district in Barbados situated some 2 miles south of Heroes Square in the capital-city of Bridgetown.

This historic area is dominated by a horse racetrack, located on the 30 acre parade ground called the Garrison Savannah. Here, in the mid 18th century, wealthy prominent Barbadians and regiment troops...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Bridgetown Introduction Walking Tour

Bridgetown Introduction Walking Tour

Bridgetown is the largest city on the island of Barbados. It was founded on the shores of Carlisle Bay, a cove on the southwest coast. The harbor is the natural location for ships to anchor, and Barbados is one of the first landfall points after crossing the Atlantic from Europe.

Originally, the island of Barbados was visited by various Amerindian tribes. Evidence has shown that permanent...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles