museum of belize

Got to see a lot of artifacts from the Mayan temple ruins including the bones and jewelry and jade head found in one of the Altun Ha tombs.

There seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to why the displayed artifacts were chosen, or what order they were displayed in. The text was all over the place as far as size, aesthetics, and depth of content. I seriously questioned the validity of some of the information presented. It's too bad since this is the only comprehensive museum that I've found in Belize. If you are craving some history, you should go, but keep your expectations low. The building is beautiful, they did a great job renovating, they just need to find a good curator and some more decent content. The famous jade head that they tout looked like a reproduction and wasn't even displayed in a way that you could see the whole thing. I want people to go just so they get some funding to make it better, there's so much potential because Belize has an amazing history!

Ok, so Belize City is not a very safe place and if the cruise ships don't come in, there is very little to do. Out hotel strongly advises you don't be out after dark. So, although we hadn't planned on it, we went to the museum. It is small, but we found it very interesting. It is housed in what used to be a jail. Cool bug exhibit and interesting history.

The local crafts were well done, and I enjoyed and appreciated studying them. I went to the museum inside the library and to another one near-by. Both were rather small, but certainly educational. Good work.

After taking a one hour taxi tour of the Belize City. My wife and I walked around town and ended up unplanned at the State Museum which is in front of the Bank of Belize right off the water. At the entrance were nice benches in the shade where we sat and ate some food we had with us, take note there are very few places with benches or outdoor seating in Belize City so it was nice to sit and rest here. Be aware the sidewalks and roads are not up to American safety standards and you must watch where you are stepping and look out for those with you as there are large holes here and there, and high curbs in places. Having been through many museums, I would rate this one very highly. Belize did a first class job of converting this historic prison into a modern air conditioned museum with good rest rooms while still retaining the history of the prison itself. The Mayan jade and pottery are exquisite. The enormous insect collection is fascinating as well as the extensive stamp collection. Don't miss one of the world's largest moths with an 11 inch wingspan call the White Witch. Good history of transportation and commerce. This was well worth the $5 admission price and is an easy walk from the cruise dock for an able bodied person. If you find yourself in Belize City with no real plans you can walk to this museum and then go back to the ship dock or if you are brave enough walk the town, we did but stayed in the business district. We felt safe enough there, but there are some beggars and hustlers on the street. When people stop to give you advice or point out things of interest they are not just being friendly but looking for you to give them some cash so be aware and use caution and good judgement.

This museum is in the old colonial prison so the setting is of interest too. Being a philatelist I loved their postal history section while the Mayan relics will please most viewers. This museum punches above its weight for a small country.

What a cool country and it is so rich in Mayan culture and history, it is just overflowing with culture so deep in so many different strands of belizeans. Also the garifuna history was so interesting makes me want to plan a trip to Hopkins and Cayo next year!!

For a country that was officially founded in 1981 Belize has been through a LOT. Formerly British Honduras, Belize is steeped with an international array of influence. The Mayan artifacts are amazing.

The museum was full of interesting Belizean history, including an exhibit on the changing methods of transportation in Belize, a Mayan exhibit, and an exhibit of butterflies and insects of Belize. The museum is quite small, but well organized and welcoming. The admission fee is $5 USD, which was very reasonable and well worth the fee. We spent between 1-2 hours learning about Belize. This is a great museum. Consider coupling the museum with a tour of the Cultural Center/government house, which is a short walk away.

I thought the history of the place as an old prison was fascinating, as was the bizarre insect and butterfly collection upstairs, largely a result of the 1960s expedition of a family called the Craigs...Mum and two sons brought back zillions of six legged insects and amazing butterflies. The transport history has some great old black and white photos too. Worth an hour of your time. Pity the stamp collection was closed.

The museum is tiny, as most things in the country :). However, it covers the key parts of its history and it's very cheap, so I think it's worth spending an hour or two in it.

This museum is part of a city tour. It was arranged through our hotel. The museum is a former prison and has original walls along with renovated area as well. Contains history of Maya people plus an insect rm. Has small shop.

For $5 each, we were able to spend a couple of hours in an air conditioned museum. The exhibits are well done, covering transportation development in Belize, Mayan history, and even an original prison cell (the museum building was previously used as a prison). Clean bathrooms and a little gift shop round out the package. A good break from the sun or rain and a short walk from the pier. If you walk out of the pier down toward the lighthouse and follow the shoreline road, the museum is right behind the Bank of Belize which is the large fenced-in complex on your left. The museum is not visible from the shoreline road. Two stories, stairs, no visible elevator.

The museum covered a range to topics - transportation, Myan culture, insects, prison life. Exhibits were clear. 2 stories.

Not the biggest museum ever, but well organized and trying very hard to show the rich history of their nation. Neat exhibits on transportation, coins, bottles, and pre-Colombian Belize, and a surprisingly sophisticated interpretive approach to some displays. The stamps and insect exhibits were being renovated while I was there. You can take a taxi cheap from the cruise ship terminal, or, if you're adventurous, turn right and follow the road around until you see the national bank. Nice gift shop, and the museum is air conditioned. Price is $10.00 Belizean, or $5 US, and they gladly take US in the gift shop and for admission. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10:00-6:00 PM while I was there. This is a three-star museum with an extra star for caring and trying hard. Very friendly staff. Please support them, it's worth it!