The Government House Museum, dating from 1814.

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Government House

Belize City


Fronting the sea down at the end of Regent St, this handsome two-story wooden colonial mansion served as the residence of Britain's superintendents and governors of Belize from the building's construction in 1814 until 1996. At the time of research the building was undergoing renovation and was closed to the public but will once again serve as the Belizean House of Culture when work is complete.

The house, one of the oldest in Belize, is worth a visit for its historical exhibits, colorful displays of modern Belizean art, spacious colonial ambience and grassy gardens. It was here, at midnight on September 21, 1981, that the Union Jack was ceremonially replaced with the Belizean flag to mark the birth of independent Belize. Displayed in the gardens is the tender from Baron Bliss' yacht.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Belize City attractions

1. St John's Cathedral

0.05 MILES

Immediately inland of Government House stands St John's Cathedral, the oldest Anglican church in Central America. It was built by slave labor between 1812…

2. Hindu Temple

0.19 MILES

Right in downtown, this simple Hindu temple serves Belize's small but growing Indian community.

3. Yarborough Cemetery

0.23 MILES

A narrow graveyard between two roads where you'll see the graves of early citizens of Belize who were not prominent enough to be buried in the nearby St…

4. Court House

0.37 MILES

You can’t miss the prominent Court House on Regent St, built in 1926 as the headquarters for Belize’s colonial administrators to replace an earlier wooden…

5. Battlefield Park

0.37 MILES

Battlefield Park is on the right across from the Court House. It's always busy with vendors, loungers, con artists and other slice-of-life segments of…

6. Fort George Lighthouse

0.42 MILES

This diminutive lighthouse guides boats into Haulover Creek and was constructed with funds from the estate of Baron Bliss, who is buried at its foot.

7. Baron Bliss Tomb

0.42 MILES

At the tip of the Fort George peninsula lies the granite Baron Bliss Tomb, the final resting place of Belize's most famous benefactor, who never set foot…

8. Image Factory

0.44 MILES

The country's most innovative and exciting art gallery stages new exhibitions and hosts regular book launches, usually of work by Belizean artists…

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