Museo Histórico Aruba

Ascending the tower's narrow ladders rewards visitors with a nice view of downtown. The museum itself has few exhibits and doesn't quite help if one really wants to learn about Aruba's history in a meaningful way. Early Dutch life, the settler founders and lineage of governors aren't presented in a pedagogical or chronological manner. Some useful explanations are hidden on signs in the tower.

Simple museum but I am glad we went. Tells some of the history of the island. On Tuesdays they have a Bon Bini festival for a $15 entrance fee. They perform cultural dances, have food and drink. It looks fun!

The museum has some interesting artifacts, but other than a brief paragraph on hat making, nothing is identified nor is there any information about the history of the building, the kitchen exhibit on the courtyard or anything else. The lovely young woman at the entrance was all that is patient and kind in her willingness to answer questions, but context on why those artifacts are in the museum would have been helpful.

Learned so much about the history of the island. The music and dancing was great!

For the price ($15 USD cash) I would not recommend visiting. The museum consists of a neat building structure with small wood fire kitchen exhibit, 2 room exhibit area, stage area, concession area, and clock tower. It took us about 30-60 mins to view the museum. While the artifacts were interesting, more placards would be helpful to understand the historical significance. The area regarding hat weaving had great descriptions. The trek up the clock tower was a fun little adventure up several stairs/ ladders. The 360 deg view from the top was beautiful at sunset. On Tuesday’s they stay open later and have performances, but we didn’t stay for it. For the cost and based on the museum description online, I would try the National Archaeological Museum of Aruba instead.

It’s a nicely maintained museum with interesting information about early Aruban people but it’s not a must-see. My kids liked playing in the model dwelling. It’s a nice thing to do if you are hungry for culture among beach visits or are curious about early Aruban life. Air conditioned!

The entrance fee is kind of expensive for what you see ($15). Althought the climbing to the top of the fortress is fun and scary, not everyone can fit on those tiny ladders.

Small but informative museum. Possess a rich history of early settlers from Venezuela, Spain, Netherlands amongst otgers