The Museum of Belize

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The Museum of Belize

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Visiting a museum is not exactly the main reason why most tourists go to Belize. These kinds of activities are best reserved for countries such as those in Europe where there are a lot of these art and history houses. But Belize does have these museums, and they can be a source of some interesting tidbits for you during your stay in the country.

When it comes to museums, nothing will be more important in this country than the Museum of Belize, the country's de facto national museum. This two-storey building is remarkable because it used to be a prison back in 1857, and was only turned into its current form in 2002. As the running joke about the museum says, it will be a crime to fail to visit the museum when you are here in Belize.

Inside, you won't see prisoners or jail wardens. What you will see are actual references to Belize's Mayan past, with artifacts from the thriving population that lived in the country more than a thousand years ago. From tools to jewelries, there is so much to be learned about the Mayans while you are here in this museum. In fact, a replica of the largest jade head found in the Mayan world (discovered in the 60's in Altun Ha) may be found in this museum. Who would have thought that this national treasure once housed some of the British Empire's most notorious criminals.

Other collections that are found here is the official collection of Belize stamps and even insects. It's a combination of historical and natural tours inside the Museum of Belize. The rest of the collection is composed of photographs and other paraphernalia detailing the last 300 years or so of Belizean history. There's even a solitary death row cell still present as one of the remaining evidence's of the museum's dark past.

So the next time you go here to Belize, don't think that it does not have the history to boast in its museum. In fact, it actually does.

You can talk about... The Museum of Belize

Tags: • activities • museum • mayan world • natural tours • british empire • national museum •

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• Cahal Pech: One of Belize's Most Impressive Mayan Sites (mayan sites)
• Traveling Solo in Belize (culture)
• Hol Chan Marine Reserve: Belize's First Marine Reserve (marine life)

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