Queen's Park Savannah Area, Port of Spain

Situated on a southeast panhandle of the Savannah, the National Museum and Art Gallery is located in a building which has a definite Dutch style.The local flavor is conveyed by an extensive display on the evolution of the pans, masks and costumes used during carnival. Pans trace their roots back to the 1850s when bamboo was first used through the use of steel drums during WWII and on to modern styles.Industrial histories include sugar, cocoa and coconut agriculture. A small display features Angostura Bitters which were invented here in the late 19th century. Petroleum use started in 1857 when the first well was drilled and grew after 1908 with the first commercial production.Other collections include Amerindian and early settler artifacts. Small sections explain military and police history. Photos and drawings of early Trinidad are quite interesting.The small natural history department provides a brief introduction to birds, trees and insects.The local modern art collection of vivid paintings and sculptures shows the depth of talent local artists.

From south to north seven structures date from around 1900:Queen's Royal College in an Italianate style with a great tower.Hayes Court, home of the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of the Anglican Church in Trinidad and Tobago, named after Bishop J. Thomas Hayes, an Englishman who served here in the late 1800s and early 1900s.Millefleurs, once a private mansion, but now owned by the state.Roomor, still a private home once called the Ambard Building.Residence of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Port-of-Spain.White Hall, the office of the Prime Minister.Stollmeyer's Castle, complete with Scottish style turrets.

Arrayed along the north edge of Queen's Park Savannah and bordering the President's residence, these Botanical Gardens contain a simple array of tropical flowers and palms. The gardens were started in 1820 and the mansion in 1875 to house the colonial governor.

The Emperor Valley Zoo features local animals plus a few standard exotic species like tigers and lions. This is a small zoo, opened in the 1950s, with small confines.