Sam Sharpe Square, Montego Bay
Montego Bay Cultural Centre
An 1803 courthouse in Sam Sharpe Square, now home to National Gallery West and its rotating exhibitions of Jamaican art and history.
- Hours
- Mon to Sat, 9 AM to 5 PM
- Effort
- Light
- Building
- 1803 courthouse
- Admission
- Included
A landmark of Emancipation
- Built in 1803, the building first served as a courthouse, where enslaved Africans, including National Hero Samuel Sharpe, were tried.
- Following the Christmas Rebellion, full freedom came on August 1, 1838, and the Emancipation Act was read from its balconies.
- After Emancipation it continued as a court office and local government offices, until the courthouse moved to St. James Street as Montego Bay grew.
Restoration and rebirth
- The building was destroyed by fire in 1968.
- In 2001 it was restored by the Urban Development Corporation, with funding from the Venezuelan Government through the San Jose Accord, and reopened as the Montego Bay Cultural Centre.
- On July 11, 2014, the Tourism Enhancement Fund refurbished and renovated it, and it was officially rebranded through an agreement between the St. James Municipal Corporation and the Montego Bay Arts Council.
Good to know
- Open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and closed on Sundays.