Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Hamilton (Bermuda). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Bermuda Aquarium, Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, and Elbow Beach. Also, be sure to include Cathedral of Saint Theresa of Lisieux in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Hamilton (Hamilton Municipality).
Table of Contents
Bermuda Aquarium
Aquarium in Bermuda. The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo is a facility located in Flatts Village, Bermuda, about 700 mi east of the United States and at the geographic center of Bermuda. It was established in 1926 by the Bermuda government to enhance a growing tourism industry and "to inspire appreciation and care of island environments." The facility focuses on showing oceanic island species and in conservation, education, and research related to these species, and contains an aquarium, a natural history museum, and a zoo.
Support for the institution comes mainly from the Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) and the Atlantic Conservation Partnership (ACP), both of which are supported primarily by donations and memberships.
The zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1993, and participates in four Species Survival Plans (SSP) as of 2009.[1]
Address: 40 North Shore Road, FL 04 Hamilton
Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity
Anglican church in Hamilton, Bermuda. The Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity is an Anglican cathedral located on Church Street in the City of Hamilton, in Pembroke Parish, in the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda.
The original Trinity Church was designed in the Early English style by James Cranston of Oxford in 1844 and was completed in 1869. Named Trinity Church, it was designated a chapel of ease for the then-Bishop of Newfoundland and Bermuda, whose Cathedral (the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist), was at St. John's, Newfoundland). In Bermuda, St. John's Church was already the parish church for Pembroke Parish, and remained so after Trinity Church was constructed. Trinity Church was destroyed by arson in 1884. Scottish architect William Hay, who had been consulted on the construction of the first building in 1848-1849 and again in 1862, was hired to design the current structure in 1885 in the Gothic Revival style. While Hay designed most of the structure, his partner George Henderson designed the eastern portion of the cathedral.
The Cathedral was constructed between 1886–1905, originally to serve, like its predecessor, as a chapel-of-ease for the Bishop of Newfoundland and Bermuda. It became a Cathedral when the Bishop of Bermuda was established as separate from the Bishop of Newfoundland in 1919. The structure is primarily Bermuda limestone, with the exception of several decorative features made from carved Caen stone that were brought in from France.
In an unhappy co-incidence, in 1892 the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Newfoundland was destroyed, with much of the city of St. John's, in the Great Fire of 1892. It was reconstructed, and also completed in 1905.
It is one of two cathedrals in Bermuda, the other being the Roman Catholic St. Theresa's, also in Hamilton. Composer S. Drummond Wolff was organist at the cathedral from 1959–1962. For a small fee, visitors to the cathedral can climb the tower for a view of Hamilton and its harbour.[2]
Address: 29 Church St., HM 12 Hamilton
Elbow Beach
Elbow Beach is one of the most popular beaches on the main island of Bermuda. Located on the southern coast of Paget Parish, it is also home to one of Bermuda's most famous resorts, the Elbow Beach Hotel. Part of the beach is privately owned by the hotel for use by its guests; there is public access to the rest of the beach.
Elbow Beach appeared on an episode of The Sopranos.[3]
Cathedral of Saint Theresa of Lisieux
Cathedral in Sibolga, Indonesia. The Cathedral of Saint Theresa of Lisieux, or the Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Little Flower, normally referred to as St. Theresa's Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Hamilton, in the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is one of two cathedrals in Hamilton, the other being that of the state church, the Anglican church of Bermuda, the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. St. Theresa's is the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Bermuda.
Catholicism, along with any other denomination not considered part of the Church of England and any non-Christian faiths, was outlawed in Bermuda, as in the rest of English territory, from the time of settlement (1609 to 1612). Enfranchisement of Catholics in Britain and the colonies followed the incorporation of the Kingdom of Ireland within the Kingdom of Great Britain, to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 allowed British and Irish Catholics to sit in the Parliament.[4]
Address: 13 Elliot St, HM 09 Hamilton
Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute
Specialty museum, Museum
Address: 40 Crow Lane, HM19 Hamilton
Victoria Park
Victoria Park is centrally located in the city of Hamilton, Bermuda. It is a public park that is opened daily to the public during daylight hours. It is widely used as an entertainment venue for free concerts and the like. There is also a rather attractive bandstand in the middle of the park installed in 1889 in commemoration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, and renewed in 2008. The park also contains attractive flower gardens and several species of endemic plants and trees. The park takes up a full block, with a number of benches and public restrooms. The park is bordered by Victoria Street, Washington Street, Dundonald Street and Cedar Avenue. It is under the administration of the Corporation of Hamilton.
After the bandstand restoration, the Corporation of Hamilton erected a plaque in the park, with the following inscription:
Victoria Park
The Corporation of Hamilton's first Public Park
This site was known as 'Dean's Bottom', in reference to the low lying, marshy tract of land first used as a recreational area by children attending a nearby school, established by Mr Alfred Dean. The parcel of land remained in a natural state until the 1880s when the bandstand arrived from Scotland. This site was chosen for its installation after the bandstand had been purchased by the City of Hamilton, to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. The bandstand was installed in 1889 and in 2008-2009 received a comprehensive restoration. The Victoria Park Bandstand and indeed the grounds in which it sits, has played a significant civic role for all of Bermuda.
All are welcome.[5]
Address: Victoria Street, Hamilton
St. John the Evangelist
Anglican church in Bermuda. St. John the Evangelist is the Anglican parish church of Pembroke in Bermuda. It was established in the 1620s when it was known as Spanish Point Church, the original name for Pembroke Parish. The original church was a wooden structure with a thatched roof of palmetto leaves. It was destroyed by fire after a hurricane and rebuilt in 1721 and again in 1821.
The St John's churchyard is known as Pembroke Churchyard or Pembroke Cemetery.[6]
Hamilton Harbour
Hamilton Harbour is a natural harbour in Bermuda which serves as the port for the capital, the City of Hamilton. It is an arm of the Great Sound, and forms a tapering wedge shape of water between Paget Parish and the peninsula which forms Pembroke Parish, and upon which the capital sits.
The approaches to the harbour are protected by a chain of islands (notably Hinson's, Marshall's, Long, and Hawkins), and by the small Salt Kettle Peninsula. Another island sits inside the Harbour itself, White's Island. The eastern end of the Harbour, the narrow corner of an isosceles triangle, is a small mangrove grown bay used for mooring smaller pleasure boats.[7]
White's Island
Island in Bermuda. White's Island is an island located in Hamilton Harbour in Hamilton, Bermuda, the only island directly adjoined on all sides by the harbour.[8]
Bermuda National Library
Library in Hamilton, Bermuda. The Bermuda National Library is the national library in Bermuda and it is located in the capital city of Hamilton. It was founded in 1839 by British soldier, administrator and meteorologist, the governor William Reid, who reigned as governor from 1839 to 1846, and was at the time located in what is today's Cabinet Building.[9]
Address: 13 Queen Street, Hamilton
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
Church
Address: 49 Church Street, Hamilton, Hamilton