Tour Logistics
The tour takes approximately 1 hour. This hour is broken into 40 minutes of guided interaction and 20 minutes of allowing the guest to engage with our interactive content. This can be adjusted to 40 mins dependent on the time constraints. The tour accommodates 25- 30 persons on each floor at a time. We can accommodate 60 persons between our two floors during one tour cycle. For tours larger than 30 we need prior notice in order to provide adequate staff. You can also opt to have an unguided tour.
The tour retails at $20 BDS per Adult. Children under 17 are $12 BDS.
The Tour:
The Exchange Interactive Centre features 2 permanent exhibition gallery floors and an Art Gallery Space which features revolving temporary art installations. The museum is housed in a 1700’s building which is protected by the Barbados National Trust. The building has its origins as the first location of the Harrisons College, which started out as a ‘a free and public school for poor boys of the parish’ by founder Thomas Harrison, but has now become one of the prestigious public secondary schools of the island. The building later on was in use up to 2005 as a Masonic Temple before it was purchased by the Central Bank of Barbados and converted into the Exchange Interactive Centre.
The Art Gallery Space is located on the ground floor which is a self-guided experience for all guests.The guided tour is conducted on the first and second floors. The first floor showcases an exciting presentation on the development of business and trade in Bridgetown and also features our exhibitions on Currency. The floor also highlights the contributions of the Central Bank of Barbados to both international recognition for Barbados and to the local communities.
Our second floor is dedicated to this history of the building. Providing insights into Freemasonry and its development on the island and also pays homage to the building’s origins as a school. The exhibitions on both floors are interactive, family friendly and hosts lots of fun activities and information for persons to discover!
