Musee de Guahaba

Along National Highway 1 in Limbe in northern Haiti is a small museum of pre- and post-Columbian artifacts found in northern Haiti. Medical doctor and amateur archaeologist Dr. William Hodges led expeditions in the 1970s and 1980s, along with the University of Florida, to unearth artifacts created by the Taino and other native groups who lived in Haiti before Columbus and Europeans landed, and in the 1980s created the museum to display them (more info here). While some of the wording is reflective of western attitudes of Dr. Hodges era, the museum is a nice presentation of the history of Haiti, including the colonial slave period. Hours aren’t posted, just stop and look for the caretaker who has the key. I gave him a small donation for letting me and my friend see the museum. He explained some of the paintings, and perhaps would have explained more if we had more time to spend there. Allow an hour if you want to read everything. We were able to briefly look at most everything in 20 minutes. Signs are in French and English, but unfortunately the red ink of the English has faded on many signs. While the stone, ceramic, and metal artifacts seem stable, the displays are showing age and the entire museum could use a cleaning and upgrade. I work in a nearby university – contact me if you are interested in training students and others as to how to preserve this museum!