Exhibitions

Fixed exhibitions

The fixed exhibitions will guide you through 7,000 years of Caribbean and Bonairean history. These are set up ‘Ikea style’, whereby you will follow a certain route that advances throughout history. This way, the exhibitions will take you on a journey through time.

The first, central room provides an overview of Caribbean and Bonairean history at a glance using two exhibitions. On the walls you will find a spectacular 20-meter-long timeline composed of countless drawings, photographs, dates, and events. The center of the room is dedicated to a 4-minute long video projection which shows the movements of people in the Caribbean through time.

The following rooms will guide you through the history and archaeology of Bonaire and the wider Caribbean region using beautifully designed exhibitions which include custom made display cases and information panels. The display cases house artifacts from all over the Caribbean. These include some of the earliest stone tools and enigmatic ritual objects used by Amerindian people. As you advance through time, you will find artifacts relating to the European colonizers and the slave trade, and even objects recovered from historic shipwrecks.

The past really comes to life through the cultural encounters; in each room your will meet a person from the past who will tell you about his or her life. When you are finished with the tour, you will have gained an entirely new appreciation of history!