Turks and Caicos MuseumTurks and Caicos Museum
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40th Anniversary Celebrations

Support the Museum.

Help preserve the history of the islands.

Happy Anniversary Friendship 7 – 1962 to 2002

In 2002, the Turks and Caicos Islands had more to celebrate than their position as one of the top 5 diving sites in the World, more to celebrate than the year-round great climate and sandy beaches.

They celebrated the arrival of a visitor who literally came from Outer Space.

Without the Missile Tracking Station on the 6 by 1 mile island of Grand Turk, NASA may never have known that John Glenn was still alive after being the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. It was from here that the heart rates and positions of the astronauts John Glenn in Friendship 7 and Scott Carpenter in Aurora 7 later that year were monitored. It is an excellent example of how seemingly small places can play big roles in history. A history that still captures imagination all over the World.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this momentous occasion – one of the biggest moments of history- the Turks and Caicos Islanders planned a series of events. Many people still remember the day when everyone waited ‘splashdown’. John Glenn liked where he had landed though, just off the coast of the island that forms the capital of this 40-island country at the southeastern end of the Bahamian archipelago.

During John Glenn’s mission the recovery area was nicknamed “Area Hotel” and during his second orbit Glenn reported “This is Friendship 7, checking down in Area Hotel on the weather, and it looks good down that way. Looks like we’ll have no problem on recovery” to which Grissom in Bermuda responded “Very good. We’ll see you in Grand Turk”. After landing and being brought to Grand Turk there were various press releases and in one Robert Voas, Mercury Training Officer, recalled Glenn’s account of returning in “a shooting star”. Glenn, traveling admittedly by rather non-traditional means, was pleased with what he saw during the mission saying “I don’t know what you can say about a day when you see four beautiful sunsets, three in orbit and one on the surface”.

It is true that the sunsets over the islands, especially the green flash that visitors and locals claim to have seen just before the sun descends below the turquoise horizon are truly spectacular. Thanks to technology and good business sense, tourists can see sunsets here without the need of a space rocket of any kind as several major airlines have been quick to invest in this fast-growing popular and un-spoilt destination.

John Glenn stayed in Grand Turk for only three days but even he got a taste of the warm welcome that visitors still enjoy today. When the US Vice President arrived at 4am to take John Glenn home, a large part of the population was waiting for him at the airport and greeted him with great enthusiasm in spite of the early hour. The records state “Of all the receptions which the Vice-President and the astronaut were later to receive, perhaps none would be smaller but certainly none would be warmer or more sincere that that given by the people of Grand Turk on their departure in the early morning of 23 Feb”.

Grand Turk would not be content with only one moment of fame. Months later Scott Carpenter missed his assigned landing spot by 250 miles and ended up right back in Grand Turk, where John Glenn it would seem was only too pleased to join him. This trip proved more controversial because Carpenter had seemed to lose concentration as he re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere. While in Grand Turk people knew he was alive and well thanks to the Tracking Station at Colonel Murray’s Hill (now known by locals as Nookie Hill), the rest of the World, indeed over 65 million TV viewers were left on tenterhooks about his fate for nearly 50 minutes after hearing that the capsule had not landed where intended. While the World’s media began endless debates about his health and state of mind, Scott, alive and well, came to Grand Turk for full medical checks.

Fellow Mercury Astronauts John Glenn, Walter Schirra, Virgil Grissom and Leroy Gordon Cooper, joined Scott Carpenter during his debriefing on Grand Turk: Slayton was in Australia for the flight and was being flown directly to the USA to meet up with the others at Patrick Air Force Base. In fact shortly after his arrival on Grand Turk, just past midnight, Glenn and Schirra greeted Carpenter and then sat talking with him until 3.30 a.m. Carpenter apologized to the World Media and his family about giving them a “cliff hanger”, but this was put down to the fact that Mercury Control, who knew that the craft had landed and Carpenter was alive after only a few minutes, had not told the waiting media.

His landing successfully and “fortuitously” according to the newspaper interrupted a Legislative Assembly meeting and so the Governor, His Excellency Sir Kenneth Blackburne, and members of the meeting were able to meet Scott Carpenter, John Glenn and other members of the astronaut team. In Grand Turk he was soon given a clean bill of health and the World’s media were informed that the astronaut was not tired in fact “quite the opposite”. Scott claimed that the trip did not go to plan as instruments failed and fuel ran out. The astronaut had been forced to control the capsule manually and override systems in order to land safely. A fact that led John Glenn to state later “perhaps difficulty may actually have been a blessing in disguise, because it showed that when he has to a man can take over control of various systems operate manually and still know what he’s doing.” In spite of the public outcry in the United States that Carpenter had been too ill or too tired to land correctly, the examiners in Grand Turk were so pleased with the results of their health checks that they stated, rather prophetically, that they could now consider extending manned Space flights beyond 3 orbits. So it could be said that the information recorded in Grand Turk helped shape the future of Space Travel. Nowadays astronauts prepare themselves to be up in Space for months and years, short flights are just for ‘tourists’.

Only days after his trip Scott Carpenter went spear fishing and diving with John Glenn over the beautifully preserved reefs that surround the Turks and Caicos Islands. Aside from the excitement of the landing, there was more drama when Scott Carpenter rescued another astronaut who nearly drowned while skin-diving. The legacy of the trip left a mark on Grand Turk and the Turks and Caicos, photographs, records and memories that will never be forgotten by the astronauts or the people of these islands.

So drama, controversy and a new world of discovery on the shores of Grand Turk! Sound familiar? – Perhaps like another historic landfall that is widely believed to have taken place on these shores? Unlike the first one in 1492, this landfall 470 years later cannot be contested as it was watched on television sets throughout the world, published in newspapers and magazines across nations and remembered by Turks and Caicos islanders. Rather strangely though the records held at the Turks and Caicos National Museum reveal that the Flight Director for Carpenter’s flight was named “Christopher Columbus Kraft”…Cue Twilight Zone music please.

Culture & History

  • Golden Age of the Turks Islands
  • Nature & Environment
  • Slavery
  • Lucayans
  • Shipwrecks
  • Salt Industry
  • SIsal Industry
  • Royal Events
  • Space Race
  • Turks & Caicos History Timeline
  • Landmarks
  • Further Reading

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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.

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Click here to view a timeline of important events and dates in the history of the islands

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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