Bahamas, New Providence Island, Nassau: Detail of National Art Gallery

Getty Images/age fotostock RM

National Art Gallery of the Bahamas

Top choice in Nassau


Anchoring the West Hill St tourist enclave, the National Art Gallery is a welcome oasis inside the stately 1860s-era Villa Doyle and one of the gems in the Bahamian cultural crown. The permanent collection focuses on modern and contemporary Bahamian artists, from renowned sculptor Antonius Roberts to folk painter Wellington Bridgewater. There are also pieces by artists of the wider Caribbean, and temporary exhibits on ecological, cultural and historical themes relevant to the islands.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Nassau attractions

1. Graycliff Cigar Co

0.06 MILES

Wandering into this cigar factory is like falling into 1920s Cuba. In a narrow, smoke-yellowed room with old-fashioned mosaic floors, torcedores (cigar…

2. Graycliff Chocolatier

0.06 MILES

Completing the Graycliff's Heritage Village trifecta (wine, chocolate and cigars), this boutique chocolate factory uses Caribbean cacao to produce a wide…

3. Bahama Barrels

0.09 MILES

The Bahamas' first winery, in the former Sisters of Charity chapel, is the latest Graycliff venture. You can sample wines for free and chat with the…

4. John Watling's Distillery

0.09 MILES

Watling's, relatively new to the Bahamian rum-distilling game, has found a home in the beautifully restored 18th-century Buena Vista Estate, its extensive…

5. Heritage Museum of the Bahamas

0.11 MILES

Mostly comprising a substantial private collection of antiques and artifacts relating to the history of the Bahamas, this small museum covers a lot of…

6. Government House

0.17 MILES

This splendid Georgian mansion, residence of the governor-general, surmounts Mount Fitzwilliam (central Nassau's low hill) like a festive pink cake…

7. Pirates of Nassau

0.22 MILES

It's hard to ignore the pirate pacing outside and posing for selfies on the pedestrianized strip off George St. The walk-through exhibition space trades…

8. Balcony House Museum

0.25 MILES

Thought to be the oldest surviving residence in Nassau (it dates to just after the American Revolution, and was built by Loyalists fleeing the fledgling…