Charlotte Amalie Attractions
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.
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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.
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.
American-Caribbean Historical Museum
32 Raadets Gade
Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas
United States Virgin Islands
32 Raadets Gade
Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas
United States Virgin Islands
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 |
| Close | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
Guides
Guided tour included with admission.
Facilities
Gift shop
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.
Bambini Art Gallery
Royal Dane Mall
Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas
United States Virgin Islands
Royal Dane Mall
Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas
United States Virgin Islands
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:30 | 10:30 | 10:30 | 10:30 | 10:30 | 10:30 | 10:30 |
| Close | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 13:00 |
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hotel 1829
30 Kongens Gade
Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas
United States Virgin Islands
30 Kongens Gade
Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas
United States Virgin Islands
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.
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.
Vendor's Plaza
Vendor's Plaza has a flea-market atmosphere with vendors selling souvenirs, inexpensive jewellery and trinkets.
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