Find out what’s been happening at The Museum. Includes updated post of previous events, visitors, volunteers, our monthly newsletter and more!
His Excellency the Governor Dr. John Freeman accompanied by his wife Mrs. Corrine Freeman visited the Turks and Caicos National Museum’s Grace Bay Campus on 2nd March 2017. Museum Representative Mrs. Candianne Williams gave them a tour of the historical timeline in the Development Office which spans the history of the Turks and Caicos Islands from 200MBC to the the1900s. They also toured the Caicos Heritage House and Garden Exhibit.
The Governor said that he got a good sense of the history and cultural richness of the Turks and Caicos Islands from his visit to both the Museum in Grand Turk and the satellite campus in Providenciales and encouraged the museum to continue the good work particularly with the school groups and visitors.
- Published in Museum News
By Pat Saxton
Director
On New Year’s Eve the great-great grandson of our famous Dennis Jeremiah Murphy, whose life and adventures are featured in our new exhibit The Golden Age of Grand Turk, visited the Museum. Dennis R. Murphy and Charlene, his wife, came with their three children: Ashley, Tracy, and Dennis Jeremiah Murphy II.

Dennis R. Murphy posing with the likeness of his great great Grandfather the famous Jeremiah Murphy.
Dennis R. gave the Museum a family tree that we greatly appreciate receiving because of the Murphy family connection to the many people living on Grand Turk today. Tim Dunn from the “Salt Cay White House” stopped in to talk to Dennis because they are actually related! We hope that the Murphy family can come back and stay a bit longer so that we can really show them Grand Turk hospitality.
Thank you Dennis and Charlene, for all that you and your family have donated and the stories that you always share!
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
The founder of the Footsteps4Good charity walk, Jill Beckingham, will walk across the main islands of the Turks and Caicos once again this year to raise money for charities in the islands. Last year the total raised was over $30,000 and Jill is hoping to increase that this year.
This year’s walk will start on 16th October at the lighthouse in Grand Turk. Jill will be joined by participants of all ages including children and students who will walk with her. “This year I would like to open the event to all children and students who would like to join me, and also raise funds for their schools”, said Jill.
The Provo Road Runners is partnering the event in Provo. They have already begun registration at IGA, IGA Gourmet and Quality supermarkets each Saturday. Paula Capehart, chair of Provo Road Runners said “We are very excited to be part of Footsteps again this year, which not only raises money for charity but encourages more people to start walking and running”. You can purchase a T-shirt and earmark your donation to the charity of your choice; you do not have to participate in the walk.
Last year the Museum received $2,000 from the event. This year our very own Museum team–Nicki, Angel, Fred, and Cecile on Grand Turk and Candianne on Provo–will be participating. Go TEAM! We hope that all of the organizations and their members will come out and support the participants!
For more information about the walk or to make a donation in support of the Museum or other organization, contact Jill Beckingham or Provo Road Runners. If you are on Facebook, visit the TCI Governor’s Facebook page for photos and the event schedule.
Look for more news about the event in our blogs.
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
The Museum was closed from September 1-15 to enable us to put in two new exhibits on the second floor. The funding for these exhibits came from HE Governor Beckingham’s office and also from funds donated in the memory of Mr. Finbar Dempsey.
The new “19th Century Office and Government Room” showcases a typical colonial office from the 1800-1900s. Many of the objects were donated by the Hugh Hutchings family or from the Museum’s collection. Among the objects are an original TCI flag with the infamous “igloo”.
The second is an updated and expanded exhibit that blends the story of the US military on Grand Turk during the 1960s and 1970s and the role that Grand Turk played in the “Race for Space”. The exhibit now is in a brighter room, with new information about the bases and the men that served in TCI. Still planned is the addition of a monitor with photos and videos from ex-servicemen. We thank all of the men and families who have generously donated their memorabilia and stories to the Museum.

Neil Saxton and Charles Kesnel (seen here putting finishing touches on the John Glen exhibit) worked tirelessly to make sure we could open on September 16.
We will have a grand opening of the new exhibits in November and HE Governor Beckingham will do the honors of ribbon cutting.
Details and dates to follow, and make sure your membership is up to date as it will be a member’s only event!
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
We thought would take an army of volunteers to help refurbish the phone booth. Every inch had to be sanded down, a base coat applied, followed by a top coat, and then all the new windows and signs set in place. Enter Seamus Day … again.
Instead of an “Army” of volunteers he arranged for the Navy to help! The first weekend in August four Royal Marine commandos from HMS Lyme Bay arrived to help. When they left, after a day of hand-to-hand combat with the box, it was ready for painting!
Neil Saxton and Charlie Kesnel finished the job a day later. Now all we need is the antique phone! Read more about the history of the telebox in the Fall Times of the Islands.
- Published in Museum News
On August 8 and again on August 15, Winston Parker of AND Construction came to the Museum campus in the Village at Grace Bay to cleanup the rubble left over from the construction of the wall surrounding the Caicos Heritage House garden. The wall was built using local materials and traditional methods. The cleanup is hugely appreciated and is an example of the voluntary community support for this important project highlighting the history of the Caicos Islands.

Cleaning up the area around the Caicos Heritage House garden wall after construction. Photo by Candianne Williams
Thank you AND Construction for your continued support of the Museum!
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
Thanks to all those that donated to refurbish our wonderful telephone box donated to the Museum by Seamus Day. So far we have collected $968 from movie nights and other donations towards the refurbishing costs, including shipping! Only $832 more to go.
When it is completed it will even have the old time beveled mirror and advertisements from that era on the backboard of the phone booth. Now all we need is a real phone!!
Watch for the Fall issue of the Astrolabe in the Times of the Islands for the complete story of how it came to be on Grand Turk, photos of this lovely relic from the 1930’s, and the special volunteers who are helping to restore it for the Museum!
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
On Friday June 19 the Turks and Caicos National Museum held a “Toast to the National’s Capital” wine tasting event at Waterloo. The Museum partnered with the Wine Cellar and Grand Turk Liquors along Chef Peter Redstone from Pelican Bay Restaurant in the Royal West Indies Resort.
Our wonderful hosts, HE Governor and Mrs. Beckingham welcomed guests who were then greeted by Anthony (Tony) Garland from the Wine Cellar in Providenciales with a glass of Santa Margherita Prosecco Brut.
From there, Tony took us on a worldwide adventure through the wonderful wine he brought to sample. From France, to South Africa, Italy, USA and Chile every wine tasting was accompanied by beautifully presented and scrumptious appetizers by Chef Redstone.
The setting in the gardens at Waterloo made the evening even more enjoyable. If that was not enough, the soft sounds from Dudley Been kept the evening on a wonderful pace.
There were raffle prizes to be won, and thanks to Grand Turk Liquors our guests had the chance to win one of three $75.00 gift certificates. The Museum also raffled off three chances to win a pair of TCNM inscribed wine glasses.
At one point Tony won a gift certificate and then had the crowd going as he auctioned off his prize. Thanks to Deborah Viera and Jack Sheery who split the gift certificate and a special dessert wine donated by the Wine Cellar, the raffle yielded $450.00!!
The Museum netted $1,575.00 from this wonderful evening.
Thanks to all who purchased tickets, and a BIG thank you to Tony Garland from The Wine Cellar, GT Liquors, Dudley Been, and of course our hosts, HE Governor and Mrs. Jill Beckingham. The TCNM team who worked throughout the evening, Cecile Wennick and Fred Glinton who manned the sign in table, Pat Saxton who was MC for the event, and Nikki Jennings who really got guests reaching into their pockets to purchase raffle tickets!
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
Support the Museum and join us in a summer wine tasting hosted by H.E. The Governor and Mrs. Beckingham. July 19th @ 7pm Waterloo, Grand Turk
To all who are away from the islands, we invite you to join us in “spirit” on Friday, June 19 and support our summer fundraiser. Purchase a virtual “ticket” or donate an amount of your choosing via our PayPal links below.
Donate at any level
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- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
Our gift shop has just received a great new shipment of Dune Jewelry. Made with sand from Governor’s Beach the new collections are breathtaking. We are the exclusive agents for Dune Jewelry in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The starfish bangle (pictured) has a matching necklace and earrings. New bangles include a dome in two styles and a heart. To “top” things off, how about a wine stopper…filled with sand from Governor’s beach.
If you would like to purchase any of our items email info@tcmuseum.org. We can mail to the USA, with a credit card payment. Get a special island gift for a friend or that memento you missed during your visit.
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News