Nassau Old Town: A Journey Through Bahamian Heritage

Nassau’s Old Town is often described as a place where British colonial architecture meets Caribbean colour, but that description sells it short. The 66 limestone steps known as the Queen’s Staircase were carved into the hillside by enslaved people in the late 18th century, and the story of how those steps came to be — and what they’ve come to mean — gets at something deeper than pastel facades and duty-free shopping. This article looks at how Nassau’s Old Town layers its pre-Columbian, colonial, pirate, and post-independence histories into a single walkable district, and what that layering reveals about Bahamian identity today.

Few people realise that the Queen’s Staircase, the most photographed landmark in the city, was originally a utilitarian passage cut through limestone to connect Fort Fincastle to the town below. The 66 steps rise between walls that reach 100 feet high in places, and on a hot afternoon the shade is a relief. The site draws thousands of visitors each year, but the historical record surrounding its construction is surprisingly thin. No one knows exactly how many workers died during the carving, and the popular story that the steps represent the 66 years of Queen Victoria’s reign — she reigned for 63 years and seven months — is a rounding at best. That kind of uncertainty runs through much of Old Town’s history.

The Limestone Legacy: Forts and the Queen’s Staircase

Nassau’s three major forts — Charlotte, Fincastle, and Montagu — were built between the 1740s and the 1790s, a period when the Bahamas was a contested outpost of the British Empire. Fort Charlotte, the largest, was constructed in the late 1780s with a moat, dungeons, and cannon placements overlooking the harbour. It was never fully completed, and it never saw significant military action. Fort Montagu, built earlier in the 1740s, did see combat: in 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, American marines captured it in a raid that briefly took control of Nassau. Fort Fincastle, the smallest of the three, was built in 1793 at the top of the hill and is now surrounded by the Queen’s Staircase approach.

Historians debate whether the forts were ever truly meant to defend Nassau or whether they served mainly as symbols of British authority. Fort Charlotte’s massive construction was never finished, and its guns were never fired in anger. Some scholars argue that the real purpose of these forts was to project power to the enslaved population and to deter privateers, not to repel a full-scale military invasion. The question remains unresolved, but it highlights how colonial infrastructure often served multiple, overlapping purposes.

Pirates, Planters, and the Architecture of Power

Just a few blocks from the forts, the Graycliff Hotel tells a different story. The mansion was built in 1740 by Captain John Howard Graysmith, a pirate who used the proceeds from his plunder to construct a private residence. The building became an inn in 1844, and over the years it has hosted Winston Churchill, the Beatles, and various European royalty. Today it houses one of the world’s largest private wine collections, with 250,000 bottles. The Graycliff experience is a study in contrasts: pirate wealth transformed into colonial gentility, then into luxury hospitality.

John Watling’s Distillery, housed in a 1789 estate overlooking the harbour, represents another layer of Old Town’s economic history. The distillery’s free tour walks visitors through the rum-making process, from fermentation to barrel ageing, and the property itself is filled with antiques that date back more than 300 years. The building was constructed the same year George Washington became president of the United States, and the distillery’s rum was reportedly smuggled into the United States during Prohibition. The adjacent We B Learnin’ Rum Academy offers a deeper dive into blending and bottling for those who book ahead.

The colonial architecture of Parliament Square — pink buildings with white trim, the statue of Queen Victoria erected in 1905, the Nassau Public Library housed in a former jail from 1815 — reinforces the same dynamic. These are working government buildings, not museums, which makes the colonial symbolism feel more present. The House of Assembly still meets in the square, and visitors can sit in the gallery when it is in session.

Markets, Music, and the Living City

If the forts and mansions tell the story of colonial power, the Straw Market and Arawak Cay tell the story of Bahamian resilience. The Straw Market on Bay Street is the most visible continuation of pre-colonial craft traditions. Artisans weave palm fronds and sisal into bags, hats, and dolls using techniques that have been passed down through generations. The market has existed in some form for centuries, though the current covered structure dates to the mid-20th century. Bargaining is expected, and the experience is loud, crowded, and frequently misunderstood by visitors who see it as a souvenir bazaar rather than a living craft economy.

Just west of downtown, Arawak Cay — known locally as the Fish Fry — offers a different kind of cultural education. A collection of colourful wooden shacks serves freshly caught snapper, grouper, and conch in every preparation: fried, scorched, steamed, or raw in a zesty conch salad. On weekends, the Cay fills with Bahamian families, and the atmosphere is more social than tourist-oriented. The food is a direct expression of the African, European, and Caribbean influences that shape Bahamian cuisine.

Beyond the main tourist corridor, the neighbourhoods of Grants Town, Bain Town, and Over-the-Hill hold a version of Nassau that most visitors never see. Pastel wooden houses with gingerbread trim line narrow streets, and the sounds of rake-and-scrape and junkanoo music drift from open windows. Over-the-Hill, historically the area where freed Black Bahamians settled after emancipation, is also home to the National Museum of The Bahamas and offers a more local perspective on the city’s history. The rake-and-scrape tradition, which uses a saw, a goatskin drum, and a hand-held rasp, is central to Bahamian folk music and is still performed in these neighbourhoods.

Museums and the Stories They Tell

Nassau’s museums are small, underfunded, and often overlooked, but they are where the city’s most honest historical work is happening. The Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation occupies a building that was once a slave-trading auction house. The museum’s exhibits document the transatlantic slave trade, the conditions of plantation life in the Bahamas, and the emancipation process. The building itself is the most powerful artifact — standing in the room where people were bought and sold changes how you see the rest of the city.

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, housed in the historic Villa Doyle, offers a more contemporary perspective. The permanent collection includes works by Bahamian artists from the 20th and 21st centuries, and the curatorial approach emphasizes Bahamian identity as something distinct from colonial history. The gift shop sells locally made art and crafts, which is a better option for souvenirs than the mass-produced items near the cruise port.

Two smaller museums deserve attention. The Educulture Junkanoo Museum, founded by cultural historian Arlene Nash Ferguson, offers an intimate look at the artistry behind Junkanoo — the Bahamas’ most important street festival. Visitors can try on costumes, handle the cowbells and drums, and even participate in a mask-making workshop. The Heritage Museum of The Bahamas, meanwhile, covers the full sweep of Bahamian history, from pre-Columbian Lucayan artifacts through the Columbus encounter, the piracy era, plantation slavery, and the Duke of Windsor’s brief governorship during World War II.

Forts, Food, and Insider Perspectives

The three forts offer a useful comparison for understanding how colonial defence strategy evolved — and how it failed. The table below shows the key differences.

Beyond the forts, a different kind of comparison emerges between the tourist-facing Old Town and the local-facing city. The Straw Market and Arawak Cay offer insider experiences that are accessible but require some navigation. The table below captures the key differences.

Questions Readers Ask

How much time should I spend in Nassau Old Town?

A half-day is enough for the Queen’s Staircase, Fort Fincastle, and the Straw Market. A full day allows you to add Fort Charlotte, one museum, and a meal at Arawak Cay. If you want to visit the Pompey Museum and the National Art Gallery, dedicate a second day.

Is the Queen’s Staircase really 66 steps for 66 years of Queen Victoria’s reign?

That is the most common explanation, but it does not hold up to scrutiny. Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years and seven months, not 66. The staircase was carved in 1793–1794, decades before Victoria came to the throne. The 66 steps may have been a later addition or a symbolic choice that got attached to the wrong queen. Historians are still sorting out the details.

Can I visit the Pompey Museum if I am sensitive to the subject matter?

The museum does not hold back. The exhibits include shackles, bills of sale, and detailed descriptions of the conditions on slave ships and plantations. It is a sobering experience, and visitors should be prepared for that. The museum is small — about three rooms — and you can step outside at any time.

Is the Straw Market worth visiting if I don’t want to buy anything?

Yes. Watching the weaving itself is worth the visit. The vendors are skilled artisans, and many are happy to demonstrate their techniques. That said, the market is crowded and vendors are persistent, so it is not a relaxing browse. Go with a clear idea of what you are there for.

What is the best way to learn about Junkanoo without visiting during the festival?

The Educulture Junkanoo Museum, founded by Arlene Nash Ferguson, is the best option. The museum offers hands-on workshops where you can try on costumes, play the cowbells and drums, and make your own mask. It is located in the historic district and requires about an hour for a thorough visit.

Nassau’s Old Town as a Living Archive

Walking Nassau’s Old Town is not a passive experience of gazing at pretty buildings. The city forces you to reckon with the fact that beauty and brutality coexisted here — and that the same streets that saw pirate revelry and colonial pageantry also saw the sale of human beings. The most useful thing a visitor can do is to hold all of those stories in mind at once, and to seek out the institutions and voices that are doing the most honest work of telling them. The Loyalist architectural influence that shapes so much of the Old Town’s streetscape is part of that story, but only one part.

Sources and further reading

Advised Traveler. “First Visit to Nassau: Essentials.” 🔗

Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board. “History and Culture in Nassau & Paradise Island.” 🔗

Le Journal Catalan. “I Found Nassau’s Soul Beyond the Beaches.” 🔗

Harrington, Kirsten. “Beyond the Beach: A Land Lubber’s Guide to Nassau, Bahamas.” Rovology. 🔗

Related reading on IslandHopperGuides

Exploring Lucayan National Park: A Journey Through Pre-Columbian Bahamas — Pre-Columbian history of the Bahamas, including the Lucayan people who inhabited the islands before European contact.