Find out what’s been happening at The Museum. Includes updated post of previous events, visitors, volunteers, our monthly newsletter and more!
Susanna Wesley Christian Academy Students Visit
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
On Tuesday March 10, 2015 students and faculty from the Susanna Wesley Christian Academy visited the Grand Turk campus. Fred Glinton showed the 45 students throughout the first floor of the Museum and then the group toured the new exhibits upstairs. They also spent time in the garden, learning about water resourcefulness and proper planting in harsh climates. After an interesting lesson on mangroves the students headed back to their school with mangrove coloring books provided by the Museum. Kudo’s to the students who were very well behaved.
Fred Glinton talks to students from the Susanna Wesley Christian Academy
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
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Charming Charms and other Goodies
Sunday, 16 November 2014
With our all new exhibits and recent “facelift” we decided to reconfigure the shop, making the books easier to see and browse.
There are TCI history and slave history section, a cookbook and craft section and a dive/ocean section and a bird section!
New ornaments and key chains with a nautical theme to go with our new exhibits. We have some new charms, key chains, and ornaments to go with our new exhibits.
They’ll make great stocking suffers or a fun memento of your visit. Come by, say hello, and see what else is new in the gift shop!
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
The Tele Booth “Lands” at the Museum
Sunday, 16 November 2014
By Pat Saxton, Director
The antique tele box being placed with the help of Olympic Construction, Seamus Day and Neil Saxton.
On this past Wednesday evening Seamus called to tell me could deliver the UK phone booth Friday morning! Great news…but…where to put it? Fortunately, Neil Saxton knew exactly what to do and got to work leveling the space between the donkey cart and the flag pole in front of the Museum. First job was to pull out all the aloe plants (aloe, aloe, aloe ..some (UK) Dr. Who humor).
Luckily we had some new pavers left over so they were put down, leveled and then filled in with soil. On Friday morning the Olympic sky track came with the phone booth, after a bit of maneuvering it was gently put into place. It weighs about 500 pounds and is cast iron. Most of the hard work to restore has been done by sandblasting, so now we just have to get some replacement glass, cherry red tele paint, and telephone window signs. Then wait for a visit from …. Dr. Who!
All it needs is paint, glass, and signs. Stop by the museum and see our newest attraction.
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
Footsteps4Good Charity Walk
Tuesday, 04 November 2014
Jill Beckingham, Governor Peter Beckingham’s wife, has helped to raise more than $25,000 for charity by walking more than 100km across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Scores of residents, young and old, joined Mrs. Beckingham during her Footsteps4Good walk across five of the country’s six inhabited islands.
Mrs. Jill Beckingham with Footsteps4Good supporters and participants. Photo courtesy Turks & Caicos Weekly News
And it was all for a great cause as walkers and supporters pledged thousands for their favorite TCI charity while getting fit and having fun in the process.
The walk began in Grand Turk on October 25, then onto South Caicos, Middle and North Caicos, Salt Cay, ending on Providenciales on October 31. On Saturday, November 1, Mrs. Beckingham finished with a major walk and run organized by Provo Road Runners from IGA to Blue Haven in Leeward.
The Museum collected $1,737.00 in donations from the walk! Thank you Mrs. Beckingham!
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
Birding Guides Unveiled at TCNM
Friday, 13 June 2014
A new set of guides to bird watching in the TCI were unveiled at the Providenciales, Grace Bay branch of the Turks & Caicos National Museum on July 12, 2014. The guides are designed to help extend the TCI’s tourism offer year round, especially on its less populated islands. They were jointly created by the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (UKOTCF) and the TCI National Museum. Read more about it at: https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/birding-guides-to-extend-turks-and-caicos-islands-visitor-season
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
Water Wise Garden Exhibit Opens
Friday, 13 June 2014
The new wise water garden exhibit demonstrates rainwater harvesting from roofs, garden irrigation and use of native and other medicinal plants adapted to local conditions at the Museum’s historically accurate recreation of a typical 1800s Caicos family dwelling. The new exhibit was featured at a grand opening on June 12, at the Providenciales branch of the Turks & Caicos National Museum. To read more about it https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/wise-water-garden-opens-at-turks-and-cacios-national-museum
Brian Naqqi Manco explaining the “three sisters” crop system used by both the original Taino Indian inhabitants and again in the post-plantation era.
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
Smell our Specialty Coffee
Friday, 30 May 2014
Try our brand new Guinep House Choice blend coffee.
Introducing “Guinep House Choice” blend coffee made especially for Turks and Caicos National Museum by TCI Roasters. It is a blend of Honduran and Guatemalan beans. It is a medium roast, smooth with slightly nutty tones and very low acidity. The perfect way to start your day.
Come by the Museum gift shop and be one of the first to buy our new coffee.
- Published in Museum News
Royal Bank of Canada Grant Awarded to Museum
Friday, 12 July 2013
Breaking News!
The Turks and Caicos National Museum ( TCNM), in cooperation with the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (UKOTCF) have been awarded a $55,000 Leadership Grant through the Royal Bank of Canada Blue Water Project.
Type of Grant: Leadership Grant
Project: Restoring Water Capture and Use in Turks & Caicos with Model Gardens and Raising Awareness of Wise Water Use
The Turks and Caicos National Museum in partnership with the UKOTCF, Department of Maritime Affairs (DEMA) and the Agricultural Department will be using these funds to show visitors to the Caicos Heritage House in Providenciales the importance of rain collection both today and before “city water”. This site currently in development, will demonstrate rainwater harvesting, garden irrigation and use of native planting.
The TCNM Grand Turk will be using part of this grant for signage to demonstrate how the Guinep House, Science Building and Botanical and Cultural Garden use only harvested rain water and recycled air conditioning run off for its gardens, toilets and cleaning.
Project will be showcased at the Royal Bank of Canada’s Blue Water Day in June 2014
- Published in A Day at the National Museum, Museum News
Caicos Heritage House Exhibit
Friday, 10 August 2012
August 1, 2012 – The Turks & Caicos National Museum Foundation is pleased to announce the start of its first exhibit at the new facility in the Village at Grace Bay, a historically correct recreation of a typical 1800s Caicos dwelling. Plans were recently approved by the Physical Planning Board. Jeff Lee of JAL Consultants Ltd., the Architect and Development Consultant for the project stated:
“The Caicos Heritage House was meticulously researched through numerous site visits to North and Middle Caicos and interviews with Islanders. This first Museum exhibit will be a Caicos family home that existed during the 1800s, complete with outdoor cooking area, traditional furnishings, and even boat-building. The construction schedule calls for the completion of the exhibit before the end of the year.”
A typical Caicos Island house in the 1800s. Photo copyright Turks & Caicos National Museum.
Made possible through an anonymous donation, the Caicos Heritage House will occupy part of a 1-acre parcel adjacent to a 1.6 acre lot where the main Museum will be built. The Heritage House will feature “living history” demonstrations and learning exhibits. The donor hopes that the prompt completion of this project will draw attention to the Museum’s presence on Providenciales and demonstrate its importance.
Dr. Donald H. Keith, Chairman of the Museum’s Board of Directors said:
“Visitors and Islanders who come to see this exhibit will leave with a new appreciation for what life in the Islands was like for most of the past 160 years. The Caicos Islanders were in tune with and adapted to the climate and environment on land and in the water. Much of their knowledge about past lifeways and traditional use of foods and medicinal plants is slipping away as the oldest residents pass away. We hope that Islanders will come forward with their knowledge and stories so that the Museum can save them and share them with visitors and the public.”
For more information about the Caicos Heritage House project and the Turks & Caicos National Museum contact Patricia Saxton, Director, at 649-946-2160.
- Published in Museum News
Colonial Tea Set Donated to the Museum
Tuesday, 01 November 2011
November 1, 2011 – Our outgoing Chief Justice Gordon Ward and his wife Meg have donated a Royal Albert Bone China Tea Set to the Turks & Caicos National Museum. This exquisite set belonged to his mother Ellinor Ward.
The Chief Justice said the set must be at least 80 years old as he remembers his mother using it from when he was very young.
Of course we will not divulge the age of the Chief Justice just to satisfy our curiosity! Suffice to say, he was born in Kut Ching in Borneo (now Malaysia) and was the third generation of his English family to be born there, so he came of age in the Colonial Era.
The tea set for 4 is in perfect condition. We are hoping to display it in the planned exhibit of a colonial administrator’s office. On behalf of the Museum, we thank the Wonderful Wards for leaving this family heirloom in our care. The memory of Ellinor Ward, her son and daughter-in-law will live on in Grand Turk.
- Published in Museum News
