Old Belize Exhibit

Old Belize Exhibit

Old Belize offers an unforgettable experience that will surely provide an excellent orientation and appreciation for the country and people of Belize. The 45-minute tour begins inside a rainforest exhibit that showcases giant tropical trees that tower the path you walk. Inside this display a waterfall and limestone cave depicts the magnificent stalactite and stalagmite formations that scientist say grows about an inch every 100 years!

The tour leaves behind the sounds of the rainforest to welcome the drums and flute of the Maya. In this exhibit, every element has been meticulously and artistically recreated, from the stone temple to the ancient tomb. Experience the mysticism as the culture of the Maya come to life.

As you leave the Maya exhibit, you enter the industry exhibits. This exhibit showcases the era which revolutionized the settlement of Belize - the Industrial period. These industries were crucial for the development of Belize.

In our following exhibits time seems to have been frozen in the 17 th , 18 th and 19 th century. The clanging of old iron tools and machinery could almost be heard through the cold and oxidized displays. Recovered from the forest, covered with overgrown vegetation, these antiques were once employed by the men and women whose hard work laid the foundation for the development of the economy of British Honduras.

Our first exhibit features a recovered estate-type, steamed-powered sugar mill, which remains as evidence of the sugar making process in the middle of the 1800's. The cultivation and production of sugar was one of the greatest contribution of the Mestizos, who came as refugees during the Caste war in Yucatan, Mexico.

In 1890 the US market was introduced to chewing gum or chicle at a World Trade Fair in New Orleans. This led to a boom for the Chicle industry in Belize in the early 1900's. At this exhibit, you can appreciate the complete process; from harvesting to the cooking of this natural and original form of chewing gum.

Our next exhibit features a steam-powered sawmill. The logging industry required that these giant trees be squared to make as much use of space once onboard ships destined for England and the US. The use of the circular saw transformed this industry to a more efficient business.

The mahogany wood made Belize, then British Honduras, popular and prosperous during the 1800's. Famous furniture makers such as Chippendale were using the British Honduras mahogany for making fine furniture. Our exhibit gives a fascinating account of the logging process in Belize.

Ex-British pirates first settled Belize towards the middle of the 1600's in search for logwood, which had a lucrative market in England for its blue and purple dyes. Our logwood exhibit recaps the process of extracting this natural dye from the heart of the logwood.

The beating of the Garinagu drums welcomes you to our next Exhibit: a traditional Garifuna home. In this display we portray the unique culture of this ethnic group that still maintains part of their African and Carib ancestry portrayed through their music, language, and religious practices.

Our final exhibit highlights the Creole culture through the re-creation of a Belize Town street in the early 1900's. In this exhibit we depict the modest way of life in Belize Town, and recap historic facts that transformed the Belize settlement.

As you conclude your tour of Belize, one thing is for sure - located amidst countries whose civil wars have brought about bloodshed for thousands of people fighting for freedom, Belize has remained a peaceful, loving country where democracy has flourished, even during pirate settlement.