Nassau - Downtown & Bay Street 
The heart of downtown Nassau is best described as the six blocks of Bay Street plus the parallel Shirley and King streets to the south between the British Colonial Hilton on the west and the Parliament Buildings on the east. This section of Bay contains a series of upscale duty-free shops aimed at the thousands of cruise ship passengers arriving each week.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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While the straw market located here sell arts and crafts, the department stores sell collectibles, fine arts, perfumes, jewelry, clothing and other items some ranging into the thousands of dollars.
Cross streets run up into the hills where other fine examples of colonial Georgian and Adams-style architecture are found.
Cross streets run up into the hills where other fine examples of colonial Georgian and Adams-style architecture are found.
Related Attractions
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Straw Market
The Straw Market in Nassau features traditional straw items such as hats, mats, and baskets but also offers an array of other goods including fine wood carvings, colorful fabrics and many other arts and crafts and souvenirs. The historic market building was destroyed by fire in September, 2001, but the market continues, located on Bay Street.
Hours
March 1 to October 1
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 | 8:00 | Closed |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 16:00 |
October 2 to February 29
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | Closed |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Vendue House (Pompey Museum)
The neo-classical Vendue House was constructed in the early 1800s for auctions, including those of slaves. A second story was added in about 1913 when the building was taken over by the Telephone, Telegraph and Electricity Corporation. The building became the home of the Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation. The roof of the building was damaged in the market fire of September, 2001 and underwent renovations.
