Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
122
Cayman Islands Na tional Museum
Set dir ectly on the
waterfront, in a G eorge Town neighborhood that 's mor e densely
packed with cruise ship passengers than any other ar ea on the island,
this museum is housed in a dignified clapboar d building that 's one of
the island's oldest and one of fe w to survive the disastrous hurricane of
1932. The 557-sq.-m (5,995-sq.-ft.) interior is a repository for the lore,
history, and memorabilia of the Cayman I slands. Many older islanders
feel that the importance of local history is being ignored by the younger
generations of Caymanians. Thus, y ou might find mor e passion and
ferocious national pride associated with the exhibits inside this museum
than y ou might hav e expected. E xhibits focus on the sociological,
archaeological, and mer cantile histor y of the Caymans, with a heavy
emphasis on the har dships suffer ed b y the Caymanians prior to the
advent of tourism and the modern-day financial-ser vices industries.
The formal exhibits feature more than 2,000 items depicting the natu-
ral, social, and cultural histor y of the Caymans, including an assor t-
ment of Caymanian ar tifacts that w ere collected b y islander I ra
Thompson beginning in the 1930s. The museum also incorporates a
gift shop, theater, and cafe. Call ahead to make sure it's open when you
visit. The museum can be seen in about 45 minutes.
S. Church St. (Harbour Dr .), George Town.
&
345/949-8368.
www.museum.ky.
Admission US$5 adults, US$3 children 6-12, free for children 5 and under. Mon-Fri
9am-5pm; Sat 10am-2pm.
6
Dolphin Discovery Grand Cayman
This dolphinarium is one
of the latest attractions in G rand Cayman. It has three different pro-
grams for swimming with the dolphins. Although some sur veys have
revealed that dolphins may not like such intimate contact with
humans, nobody talks about that ar ound here.
The least expensive program, for ages 8 and above, is the “Dolphin
Lovers Swim,” during which a dolphin might sing to you, or even give
you a hug and a kiss. The second pr ogram, “Dolphin Swim Adven-
ture,” allows you to go for a belly ride with this sea cr eature. Partici-
pants stroke and pet the dolphins.
The final and most expensiv e pr ogram, “D olphin R oyal Swim,”
allows for even more intimate contact with the dolphins. They'll not
only give you a kiss and a hug, but will pull y ou with their dorsal
tows, giving a speedy ride. After that, the dolphins will push your feet
to raise you up to the water surface. Visitors to the Dolphin Discovery
can spend an hour or 3 hours, depending on what they want to do .
Northwest Rd., West Bay.
&
866/393-5158
in the U.S., 866/793-1905 in C anada.
www.dolphindiscovery.com. Reser ve in advanc e. Dolphin L overs' S wim US$99
adults or US$79 children 8-11; Dolphin Swim Adventure US$119 adults or US$99
children 8-11; Dolphin Royal Swim US$159 adults or US$119 children 8-11. Daily
at 9am, 11am, and 1pm.
