Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
has not been recovered—its mysterious disappearance is still the subject of much
discussion.
As you enter the Parade Ground at the entrance to the museum, you'll notice a
3m-high (9
3
⁄
4
-ft.) figure of King Neptune. This replica in Indiana limestone is mod-
eled on a figure that was recovered from HMS
Irresistible,
when the ship was broken
up in 1891. The
Queen's Exhibition Hall
houses general maritime exhibits, includ-
ing displays on navigation, whaling, and cable and wireless communications. A “Ber-
muda in Five Hours” exhibit focuses on Pan American's early “flying boats.” The
building itself was constructed in 1850 for the purpose of storing 4,860 barrels of
gunpowder. Some of the most intriguing objects on display within this building were
salvaged from 16th- and 17th-century wrecks discovered in Bermuda's offshore
waters.
The
Forster Cooper Building
(1852) illustrates the history of Bermuda and its
Atlantic trade routes. The
Boatloft
houses part of the museum's boat collections,
including the century-old fitted dinghy
Victory,
the 5m (16-ft.)
Spirit of Bermuda,
and
the
Rambler,
the only surviving Bermuda pilot gig (a commanding officer's light boat
kept on a large ship). On the upper floor, the original dockyard clock, which is still
working, chimes every quarter-hour. Admission to the Shifting House, Queen's Exhi-
bition Hall, Forster Cooper Building, Boatloft, and Commissioner's House are
included in the entrance price to the Bermuda Maritime Museum.
Royal Naval Dockyard.
&
441/234-1418.
www.bmm.bm. Admission $10 adults, $8 seniors, free for
children 12 and under. Daily 9:30am-5pm (last ticket sold at 4pm). Closed Dec 25. See transportation
information under the Royal Naval Dockyard listing below.
The Royal Naval Dockyard
The Dockyard, with its Bermuda Maritime
Museum, is the number one tourist attraction on Bermuda. Even if you plan to spend
all your precious time on Bermuda's pink sandy beaches, try to schedule at least a
half-day to check it out.
The Royal Naval Dockyard has been transformed into a park, with Victorian street
lighting and a Terrace Pavilion and bandstand for concerts. When the Bermudian
government bought this dockyard, which had been on British Admiralty land, in
1953, it marked the end of British naval might in the western Atlantic. A multimil-
lion-dollar cruise-ship dock has been built and a tourist village has emerged; today,
vendors push carts filled with food, dry goods, and local crafts. There's a full-service
marina with floating docks, a clubhouse, and showers. The area also houses the Ber-
muda Maritime Museum, the Neptune Theatre (a 118-seat cinema showing feature
films two times a night, with matinees Fri-Sun;
&
441/291-2035
), the Crafts
Market, and the Bermuda Arts Centre, which are all described above. The entire
dockyard is closed Good Friday and Christmas Day. For more information about the
Dockyard and its Maritime Museum, call
&
441/234-1333
or visit www.bmm.bm.
7
The World's Smallest Drawbridge
After leaving Fort Scaur, you can con-
tinue over the much-photographed
17th-century
Somerset Bridge,
the
world's smallest drawbridge. During the
rare moments when it's open for
marine traffic, the space between the
spans is a mere 56 centimeters (22 in.)
at road level—just large enough for the
mast of a sailboat to pass through.