Christiansted National Historic Site
The core of the former Danish West Indies capital. The yellow Christiansvaern Fort, the Steeple Building, and the Customs House surround the harbour.
The site preserves a group of 18th- and 19th-century Danish colonial buildings along the harbour of Christiansted. Christiansvaern Fort, completed in 1749, is one of the best-preserved Danish forts in the Caribbean. You can climb its walls for views over the bay. Nearby are the Steeple Building, which was formerly a Lutheran church and now houses exhibits, the Customs House, the Scale House, and the warehouse of the West India and Guinea Company. Together they tell the story of the sugar trade and slavery. Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, worked here as a clerk in his youth. Check the National Park Service website for opening hours and admission. A visit takes about 1 to 2 hours, and the old town around it is best explored on foot.
Opening hours
Approx. 08:30–16:30 (per NPS announcements)
Nearby sights
- Christiansted Boardwalk
- Protestant Cay
- Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve
- Captain Morgan Visitor Center
- Buck Island Reef National Monument
- Cane Bay
- Jack and Isaac Bays Preserve
- Cruzan Rum Distillery