St. Michael's Cathedral, Bridgetown

St. Michael's Cathedral, Bridgetown (must see)

Two blocks east of National Heroes Square, this Anglican church has stood since 1789. It replaced an earlier wooden church built in 1665 that was destroyed by a hurricane in 1780. That first church was located at the site of present-day St. Mary's Church.

The cathedral is made of coral limestone and features beautiful stained glass windows. In 1938, the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament was added. The marble baptismal font is from the 17th century. The impressive structure can seat about 1,600 people and has one of the largest pipe organs in the Caribbean.

The church was originally the St. Michael's Parish Church but was elevated to cathedral status in 1825 when Bishop Coleridge became head of the new Diocese of Barbados and the Leeward Islands.

Some of the most striking stained glass pieces can be seen in the Chapel. The central circular window features the image of Saint Michael. The larger windows to the left and right commemorate the parents of James Challenor Lynch. The windows were made in the late 1800s in London.

In the graveyard, you can see some of Barbados' famous public figures' graves. Sir Grantley Adams, the first chief minister and the only Prime Minister of the West Indies Federation, rests here. His son Tom Adams, the island's second prime minister, is also here.

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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St. Michael's Cathedral on Map

Sight Name: St. Michael's Cathedral
Sight Location: Bridgetown, Barbados (See walking tours in Bridgetown)
Sight Type: Religious
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.
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
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