Charlotte Amalie Tourist Attractions
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The capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Charlotte Amalie (named for a Danish queen) is the most popular cruise port in the Caribbean, with over 900 cruise ships visiting a year.
Beracha V'Shalom V'Gimilath Chasidim Synagogue
Originally built in 1796, the Beracha V'Shalom V'Gimilath Chasidim Synagogue is the second-oldest in the Western Hemisphere. The original structure was destroyed by fire in 1804, and the second was dismantled to make room for a larger third, which also burned. Danish Sephardic Jews constructed the present temple in 1833.Today the synagogue supports a 600-person congregation on St Thomas and the building is formally registered as a National Historic Landmark. The sand floor symbolizes the exodus of Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. There is an 11th C Spanish menorah here, and benches and chandeliers are constructed from local mahogany trees. The building is listed on the National Registry of Historic Landmarks.
Weibel Museum
Weibel Museum showcases the 300-year history of the Jewish community on St Thomas and throughout the West Indies.
Fort Christian & Virgin Islands Museum
Fort Christian is the oldest structure in the U.S. Virgin Islands, built in 1672. Resting over Charlotte Amalie harbor, the red-brick structure featuring a clock tower once protected the town from European armadas and pirates. The fort has served as the first Government House on St Thomas, a church, and then a community government center.The Virgin Islands Museum is housed in Fort Christian in what used to be a dungeon. Here there are exhibits featuring island memorabilia from the times of the Natives to the present, hand-made West Indian furnishings, and a natural history collection. A small gallery holds art shows. Fort Christian is listed on the National Registry of Historic Landmarks.
Emancipation Garden
The Emancipation Garden is the site where the Emancipation Proclamation was read on July 3, 1848, freeing the slaves of St Thomas. The event took place after officials received word that governor Peter von Scholten had freed the slaves on St Croix. Today the park features benches, a gazebo, lots of shade and is good place to relax or catch occasional band concerts. The garden is converted into a Carnival Village during the festival in April. In the corner of the park there is a replica of the Philadelphia Liberty Bell.
Seven Arches Museum
Once a Danish artisan's home, the Seven Arches Museum was built in the 18th C and is now an authentic, fully restored structure furnished in the West Indian style. Seven arches support the "welcoming arms" staircase that leads to the entrance on the second floor.The Danish kitchen and slave quarters reflect the lives of former inhabitants, and the entire home features antiques and mahogany furniture from Barbados and other Caribbean islands. A free tropical drink is served in the quiet, walled garden overlooking Charlotte Amalie.
Camille Pissaro Gallery
This building is the birthplace of French Impressionist Camille Pissaro, born in 1830 as Jacob Pizarro to Spanish Jews. As a young man and accomplished painter, Pissaro moved to Paris, changed his name and emerged as one of the founders of the French Impressionist art movement. Camille Pissaro Gallery exhibits and sells reproductions and prints of Pissaro's work, as well as exhibiting the work of other local artists.
Frederik Lutheran Church
An architectural gem in Charlotte Amalie, the Frederik Lutheran Church was built between 1789 and 1793 in the Georgian style. Restored twice in the 19th C, the church now features Gothic Revival elements such as a gable tower and roof. The entrance to the church features a "welcoming arms" stairway (flaring at the base) typical of West Indian architecture. During the 19th C the congregations of the church were segregated into West Indian and Danish groups.
Kings Wharf & Legislature Building
The Kings Wharf government compound was the original ship landing for the Danish colony on St Thomas. Today, the U.S. Virgin Islands government and U.S. Coast Guard share the grounds. The pale-green, neoclassical Legislature Building, built by the Danish in 1874 was once a barracks for Danish and then U.S. military troops. Also the site where the U.S. Virgin Islands were officially ceded from the Danish to the US, island politicians have assembled in the building since the 1950s.
Bambini Art Gallery
Founded by contemporary artists and St Thomas residents Ellen Swane and Vincent Roy Bambini, the Bambini Art Gallery is an alternative fine arts gallery and shop. Swane produces wearable hand-painted art on velvet, silk and cotton. Bambini, a recipient of the Mid-Atlantic Arts Fellowship, creates works featuring a flat style accentuated by strong color and composition.
Blackbeard's Castle
Blackbeard's Castle, a five-story masonry tower, the only one of its kind in the Caribbean. Known during colonial times as Skytsborg, the watchtower was built by the Danish in 1678. Legends claim the tower was a lookout post for the pirate Blackbeard (Edward Teach) in the 18th C. Today a popular hotel and restaurant are at the site and excellent vistas of St Thomas Harbor and Charlotte Amalie can be seen.
Government House
This three-story, hipped roof, white mansion features two floors of cast-iron verandas. Built between 1865 and 1867, Government House was restored in 1994 and presently houses the offices of the territorial governor. The first and second floors of the Government House are open to the public for touring and visitors will note many paintings by local artists, including St Thomas native Camille Pissaro.
Hotel 1829 & Yellow Brick Building
This mansion dating from 1829 was once the home of a French sea captain and merchant named Alexander Lavalette. Presently a hotel, Hotel 1829, the distinct U-shaped building features a "welcoming arms" staircase and elliptical archway. Next door is the Yellow Brick Building, built in 1854 featuring ballast-brick architecture and a marble-tiled porch.
Crown House
Built in 1740, the Crown House features a broad gambrel roof and narrow dormer windows. Now a private residence, the Crown House was once the living quarters of two island governors, including Peter von Scholten, responsible for freeing the slaves on St Thomas.
Market Square
Today a produce and flower market, Market Square was once the site of the slave market in Charlotte Amalie. During the 17th and 18th C, an estimated 200,000 captive Africans arrived at this market to be sold as slaves. Although difficult to find, the actual auction block remains on the site.
99 Steps
A relic from the mid-1700s, the 99 steps (actually 103 steps) were built during Danish colonial times out of ship-ballast brick. The 99 steps are one example of many staircases built on the steep hills of Charlotte Amalie.
Frederik Church Parsonage
Constructed from rubble masonry, the large Frederik Church Parsonage was built in 1725 and is the one of the oldest residences in continuous use on St Thomas. The house features a double balcony, remnants of slave quarters and a cookhouse.
Grand Hotel Complex
The neoclassic/Tuscan designed buildings of the Grand Hotel Complex date from 1839. Restoration undertaken by artisans began in 1999, and the buildings now feature shops and restaurants.
Haagensen House
Once home to Danish banker Hans Haagensen and his family, this restored 1830s townhouse of Haagensen House is now a museum of 19th C colonial life on St Thomas. The home is surrounded by terraced gardens.
American-Caribbean Historical Museum
The American-Caribbean Historical Museum outlines the history of the U.S. Virgin Islands through exhibits of documents, historic costumes, artifacts and photos.
St Thomas Reformed Church
Built in 1844, the St Thomas Reformed Church is a good example of Greek Revival Architecture, not usually found in the West Indies.
Vendor's Plaza
Vendor's Plaza has a flea-market atmosphere with vendors selling souvenirs, inexpensive jewellery and trinkets.
Charlotte Amalie Beaches
Many good beaches lie in the Charlotte Amalie vicinity.
Bolongo Bay
One of the more picturesque beaches, Bolongo Bay is long, broad, and crescent-shaped. The Bolongo Bay resort is here, and the area is good for sunbathing and water-sport activities.
Brewers Bay Beach
Brewers Bay Beach is a long stretch of sand featuring sheltered and shallow waters, perfect for swimming with children. As a result this is a popular family beach.
Lindbergh Bay
Lindbergh Bay is a narrow, steep beach shaped like a horseshoe and features good snorkelling among the coral heads and rocks within the bay.
Morningstar Bay
Morningstar Bay is a busy, manicured hotel beach featuring a long, beige stretch of sand good for sunbathing and swimming.
