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Category: Upcoming Events

Support the Museum.

Help preserve the history of the islands.

Upcoming community events

Grand Turk Event – July 30, 2022

Monday, 13 June 2022 by
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Irish Museum at the Grand Turk Museum

Monday, 23 May 2022 by

We welcome everyone to come out this Thursday May 26th 2022 for Irish Music at the Grand Turk Museum. 

As part of the Irish Music Festival taking place we will be hosting one night 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. 

Free Admittance – Drinks available for purchase.

Support the museum and have a great time as part of the special event happening on Grand Turk.

Tell your friends and family!

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Museum Day – Grand Turk – November 2nd 2019

Thursday, 22 August 2019 by

A day to show our appreciation to the community and supporters.   Free Entry.  Food, Drinks, Games & Prizes for the kids, Live Music with Island Vibes Band, Kids Karaoke, Face Painting, Horse Rides and more!

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Provo’s “Back in the Day” – International Museum Day May 18th

Monday, 08 April 2019 by

Join us on May 18th in Providenciales for our Annual “Back in the Day” event.
Celebrating the Heritage and Culture of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
This will be a fun family day with music, crafts and games for the kids.
Event Location: The Museum at the Village in Grace Bay
Time: 1PM – 7PM
Free Entry – Food and Drinks on Sale

Ripsaw Band, Story Telling, Traditional Way of Life Demonstrations and More!

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Movie – Vanishing Sail – Provo – Saturday, March 30th

Tuesday, 05 March 2019 by

The Turks & Caicos National Museum and TCISA are presenting a showing of Vanishing Sail on Providenciales Saturday, March 30th.   

Saturday March 30th
Brayton Hall Theatre – Providenciales
Movie starts at – 7 PM
$20 General Admissions/$30 Balcony
Tickets can also be purchased in advance at the Museum on Provo
Snacks & Refreshments available for sale
Proceeds will be used towards the Museum’s new project on documenting the Boat Building Industry in The Turks and Caicos Islands and used for development of the museum on Providenciales. The documentary Vanishing Sail follows Alywn Enoe’s (in Carriacou) journey of determination and resilience over three years, from hauling trees with his sons, to a final traditional launching ceremony. Stories of the old Caribbean – trading by sail and smuggling contraband interweave a tribute to the independent spirit of a small island community.
It is our goal to document the Caicos Sloop industry and be able to preserve the methods through Museum displays and educational programming.
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Evening with the Expert – Grand Turk March 12th

Tuesday, 05 March 2019 by

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Children’s Club on Grand Turk starts February 16th 2019

Tuesday, 15 January 2019 by

Children’s Club Information

!!The Club is FREE!!

When: The Kids Club will be held once a Month on a Saturday

Scheduled dates:

  • February 16th
  • March 16th
  • More Dates to be announced

Ages: 8-12

Where: Club will be held at the Science Building in the back of the Museum

Time: 1pm to 3pm  (note time change due to parent input!)

SIGN UP REQUIRED!!

Activities include art, crafts and mosaic projects that focus on the culture, nature, environment and history of the Turks & Caicos.

Email us at info@tcmuseum.org for more information or to receive a sign up form.

Or Visit the gift shop to sign your child up for the club.

 

 

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Grand Turk 2019 upcoming Projects

Thursday, 13 December 2018 by
Children’s Club – We are starting the monthly Children’s Club again. The first club will be held on February 16, 2019. Arts, crafts, games and field trips will be designed to be both fun and educational. Children from ages 8-12 are invited to participate. The club is FREE!! Enrollment will start in January. The club will be held once a month on a Saturday from 1pm – 3pm.
Oral History Interviews – Oral histories are the collection and study of historical information using tape recordings of interviews with people having personal knowledge of past events.  Preserving oral history is a critical phase of genealogical research and data preservation. If you are interested in participating or know someone who should be interviewed please contact us. Individuals from all islands will be included.
Community Mosaic – We plan to turn the museum wall into an original handmade mosaic. This project started on Museum Day and be an ongoing project. We had children draw pictures of landmarks, animals and plants. Those pictures were used to create the various images that will be part of the mosaic. The wall mosaic will transform our environment and community creating a lasting, beautiful change.  Participants will learn mosaic techniques and gain deeper pride in the community. The mosaic will include representations of all areas of life in the Turks & Caicos including our history, culture, nature and wildlife.
for more information on any of these projects please email us at info@tcmuseum.org
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November 22nd – Grand Turk Garden Restoration

Wednesday, 12 September 2018 by
The museum will be working with Fathom and a group of volunteers off of the Princess Cruise Ship. Fathom is a non-profit organization that works with Carnival Cruise Corporation to organize volunteers to do work on the islands that the ship visits. On their stop in Grand Turk the volunteers will be assisting us with the garden which was damaged during the hurricanes of September 2017. The garden is in need of replanting, repairs and painting.
We are so excited and pleased to be working with this organization!!
We are asking that local volunteers join us to help restore the garden.
Please contact us if you are interested in participating or have questions!  Want to learn more about Fathom – visit their website.
NOTE the date this is a revised date from the announcement in our September newsletter.
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Grand Turk Museum Day 2018

Tuesday, 04 September 2018 by

The Turks & Caicos National Museum will be holding Museum Day on Grand Turk, Saturday, November 3, 2018

Please join us for Museum Day.   We are hosting this fund raiser to increase community involvement and awareness of the museum.   This fund raiser will be offering a day full of fun, prizes and entertainment.

  • Games & Crafts for the kids
  • Entertainment provided by a Band &  DJ
  • Bake Sale
  • Food & Drinks for sale
  • Raffle with Great Prizes

Entry is Free!!

If you are interested in volunteering please contact us.  We are also looking for donations.  Donations can be monetary or goods and services such as gift certificates that can be given away as prizes in the raffle we will be holding.  Monetary donations will go towards supplies and goods to be held for sale.

Want to Volunteer, Donate or just have questions – Please contact Michael Pateman 232-4535 or email us.  

Thank you for supporting The Museum!

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The Museum is a publicly funded not for profit organization.

It is not a part of the Turks & Caicos Islands Government and receives no regular support from the Government. Only your Support makes it all possible. Become a supporter today — we can’t do it without your help.

Become a Supporter

The Colors of the Turks and Caicos Islands

RED was chosen to represent the nation’s capital, Grand Turk. The color is taken from the red/pink fruit found on the national plant, the Turks Head Cactus. They were once found in abundance on Grand Turk before they were removed to accommodate the salt ponds.

WHITE was chosen to represent Salt Cay. The color came from salt. The salt industry was largely responsible for populating the islands of Salt Cay, Grand Turk and South Caicos.

ORANGE was chosen to represent South and East Caicos. The color comes from the Spiny Lobster and fish and reflects the fishing industry in the “Big South.”

TAN was chosen to represent Middle Caicos. The color is taken from the raw material (thatch) that once covered the roofs of the houses. It is also used to make straw hats, baskets and brooms. Middle Caicos is known for the superior quality of native craftwork.

GREEN was chosen to represent North Caicos and Parrot Cay. The color is taken from the fruit trees and other types of trees that flourish in the most fertile of all the islands. North Caicos is also home of Wade’s Green Plantation, the most successful of Caicos Islands cotton plantations.

TURQUOISE was chosen to represent the islands of Providenciales, Pine Cay and West Caicos. The color is taken from the beautiful turquoise waters that surround these islands on which our famous Caicos fishing sloops sail. These turquoise waters also contribute to our newest industry, tourism.

PINK was chosen to represent the beautiful conch shell, flamingoes and the numerous uninhabited cays that make up our chain of islands.

YELLOW represents God’s glory as the sun shining down on all our beautiful islands and cays. The sun also contributes to our newest industry, tourism.

View a timeline of important events and dates in the history of the islands

View Timeline

A Few Artifacts You’ll See at the Museum

Our collections represent the rich historical, cultural and natural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands and its people.

Lucayan Duho

Photo courtesy of Joanna Ostapkowicz. The Duho is one of the rarest artifacts in the museum’s collections. It was used a ceremonial seat for the cacique or chief of the Lucayans, the first inhabitants of these islands.

Fresnel Lens

The Grand Turk Lighthouse was erected in 1852 and was originally designed to burn whale oil and had an Argand reflector lamp. In 1943 the lighthouse was converted to a Fresnel Lens one of these lenses is now on display at the Museum.

Swivel Gun

The Molasses reef wreck, an early Spanish Caravel was equipped with three types of breech-loading swivel guns, one type is shown above. The swivel guns are thought to be anti-personnel weapons placed wherever convenient along the ship’s rail.

Salt Industry Post Card

The museum has diverse collection of early postcards of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Most post cards depict scenes on Grand Turk, the capital and from the salt industry.

Take a Look
TCI Governor

Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands

H.E. Nigel Dakin CMG

The Turks & Caicos Islands National Museum on Grand Turk surely stands in one of the most majestic settings of any museum, anywhere! Perched on the edge of the Columbus Landfall national park. The 200-year-old building, “Guinep Lodge”, which houses a multitude of artifacts covering everything from the pre–Columbian Indians to the modern age, is a museum in its own right. The west facing building has stood firm and witnessed 200+ years of incredible TCI sunsets and has withstood every major hurricane since before records began.

The National Museum plays a vital role in recovering, preserving, recording and displaying the history of these island for all to see, enjoy and learn from. The museum’s archive is a veritable treasure trove of information, with enough information to fill two museums. With thousands of pre-Columbian artifacts from multiple archeological digs from around the TCI over the last 50 years, un-displayed artifacts from ancient warships, parish records or births, deaths and marriages dating back over 200 years; a veritable gold mine of information, just waiting to be discovered.

The museum is not only an exhibition facility for local history and artifacts, but also undertakes important work in the community with multiple events throughout the year and supports all the TCI schools, has a regular summer camp and kids club for our budding historians and archeologists of tomorrow.  The Grand Turk location includes a “science building” which is a fully fledged restoration facility to stabilize artifacts before they are displayed or stored in the archive. All of this work has been quietly undertaken since the museum was founded 30 years ago. There is also a campus on Provo and there are exciting plans underway to construct a new, multimillion dollar purpose-built facility for the wider enjoyment of our fascinating history. The Governor’s Office is proud to have supported the TCNMF over the years with vital capital projects.

Whether you are a local, or a visitor to our beautiful shores; I encourage you to visit and support the Turks & Caicos National Museum and absorb our colorful and surprisingly diverse local history.


H E Nigel Dakin CMG

Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands

Minister for Tourism, Heritage & Culture for inclusion on the museum website

Hon. Josephine Connnolly

"It is a pleasure as Minister with responsibility of Heritage to welcome you to the Turks and Caicos Islands National Museum website. This Gem of an operation is perhaps the most notable establishment in regards to sites of historical interest. Since its establishment in 1991 it has always been an intricate part of our tourism product.

As a supporter, I believe the National Museum’s success depends on all resident and visitors; and as Minister I am committed to strengthening our tourism product through the infusion of authenticity and the increase in awareness of the National Museum in the development of heritage assets for sustainable tourism development.

Visit and explore the Grand Turk and Providenciales locations and experience our heritage and culture through interactive displays and exhibits. Special thanks is extended to the National Museum, a tangible product, a repository for artefacts and documents, providing a true island experience.".

Hon. Josephine Connnolly
Minister for Tourism, Heritage & Culture for inclusion on the museum website

President of Turks and Caicos Islands Community College

Dr. Hubert A. Fulford

"My interest in history and research goes back to my years as a student at the then Grand Turk Secondary School, where my teacher and later mentor, the late Helena Jones Robinson instilled a curiosity in me to appreciate context.  At that time, not fully appreciating the impact that curiosity would have on me, I sought only to please my teacher.

Pursuing tertiary education at various institutions, in various countries and at various levels, my initial foundation of inquiry was further stimulated.  Libraries and museums would form a very important part of my education, specifically during my studies in Jamaica, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Returning home after my studies abroad, my first visit to the Museum so captivated me that I began to tell all persons, visitors and islanders alike, that a visit to the museum was a MUST! The quaintness, yet thorough organization and presentation of artifacts of various kinds avowed me.

I found tremendous joy in taking my TCI Studies students to the Museum, standing back and listening to their expressions of excitement and curiosity as the curators and assistants would walk them through the various displays and presentations.

The Jamaican expression “likkle but tallawah” (small but strong) aptly fits our Museum.  The significance of this institution to our history and culture cannot be over stressed.

Welcome to The Museum.  A combination of history, culture and enchantment awaits you."

Dr. Hubert A. Fulford

President of Turks and Caicos Islands Community College

Historic Photo Gallery of the Turks and Caicos Islands

All images and the design of this Web site are protected under federal copyright laws. Any downloading, duplication or reproduction of any part of this Web site by any method whatsoever without the expressed written permission of the Turks & Caicos National Museum Foundation is strictly prohibited. Photos and/or usage rights are available for purchase please contact us for details.

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Locations

Guinep House, Front Street

Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies (BWI)
Tel (01 649) 247-2160
From the US (786) 220-1159
Hours Vary - See our schedule under Locations

The Village at Grace Bay

Development Office and Caicos Heritage House
Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies (BWI)
Tel (01 649) 247-2161
Grace Bay Hours: See Hours For This Location

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