I wasn’t sure what to expect of the Old Belize Cultural and Historical Center. My husband and I booked a shore excursion that included some time at the museum because we knew very little about Belize. I’m pleased to tell you that I can now tell you many, many things about Belize, thanks in part to this quaint little museum.

General Information
The Old Belize Cultural and Historical Center is located in Belize City. It is adjacent to Cucumber Beach and about a ten minute bus or car ride from the city’s center. The museum is intended as a 45 minute guided tour, although our trip through took closer to an hour. While this center caters largely to shore excursion groups like ours, I also saw a sign for individual admission priced at $10.00. I’m not sure if this is in Belize dollars or United States dollars. (The exchange rate was $1 Belize = $2 U.S. during my visit.) We were also able to enjoy a musical show during our visit, which I highly recommend. You can email the museum at info@oldbelize.com to find out when the shows will be playing.

Our Tour
The tour started outside, when a very articulate young employee welcomed us to the museum and traced the path we would be following through the history of Belize. The waiting area was filled with monitors showing videos about different aspects of Belize and cages of tropical birds. As we proceeded through the tour, our group stopped frequently for the guide to explain what we were seeing and tell stories about the history of Belize.

Upon entering the museum, our first stop was the Rainforest section. The aisle was surrounded by trees and a large cave. There was also a large cage of Blue Morpho butterflies, although some of them were unfortunately quite dead. The next area of the museum was a Mayan Temple, complete with smoke rising out of the entrance at odd intervals. We then visited the Industry area where we learned about the main industries of Belize. These include logging and sugar production. Various museum employers perform different tasks for the visitors. I especially enjoyed seeing the production of chewing gum by hand. Finally, we headed into an old-fashioned Village, complete with a model church, barber, and donkey pulling a cart.

This museum wasn’t the most technologically advanced I’ve ever visited, but it was very new, clean, and well designed. The staff was enthusiastic and very knowledgeable, and our group asked plenty of questions. Our guide told us over and over again how proud the people of Belize were to have this new museum. I loved learning about the different cultures of Belize and really enjoyed my tour. Children, however, might become bored on the tour because there aren’t a lot of buttons to press or levers to pull.

Other things to Do
The museum tour isn’t the only thing to do on the grounds. Our group got to see a wonderful Musical Show which featured performers from all parts of Belize tracing the country’s history through dance and costumes. The show was very enjoyable and a great way to get some exposure to traditional music and dance. We also got a very yummy snack of fried bananas and coconut candy.

I actually really enjoyed the Gift Shop directly at the museum’s exit. The items sold are all reasonably priced and made by local craftspeople. Most of the items are made of different kinds of wood and are very beautiful. The wooden cutting boards with seven different strips of different woods would make a great gift to take to someone at home. There are also alcohols, spices, and pictures. The whole place had a refreshingly low key feel and was a nice contrast to rinky dink tourist trap gift stores so often seen in cruise ship ports.

My husband and I really wished we had more time to enjoy some time at the attractive Cucumber Beach. The beach curved around just like a cucumber and visitors were enjoying the water and thatched huts providing shade. I saw a group of kids playing on a swing out over the water. The adjacent Sibun Bite Bar and Grill looked like a great place to grab some food and I loved the dark wood interior. The whole facility was just extremely nice, low-key, and well-maintained.

Overall…
My visit to the Old Belize was one of the highlights of my vacation. The museum itself is not that high-tech or elaborate, but the employees were extremely friendly and welcoming and the culture of Belize was fascinating. Through the museum and musical show I felt like I was able to learn a lot about the culture of Belize. Everyone I saw seemed to be enjoying the museum, except perhaps the Blue Morpho butterflies. If you are paying a visit to Belize City, I strongly recommend a stop at the Old Belize Cultural and Historical Center.

*Planning a trip to Belize? Check out my review of Belize City.

Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Couples