The long recovery after Montserrat’s 1995 volcanic eruption has taken another huge leap forward.  A new airport was opened in 2005, new docking facilities are available in Little Bay, and now, the ground has been broken for a new National Museum.

The new museum will be built in Heritage Park, right near the cricket field in Little Bay, which is Montserrat’s brand new capital city.

The old museum was located on the southern part of the island, and sat in an old sugar mill on Richmond Hill.  It was abandoned during the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano, but the artifacts from the island’s history were removed and stored, with plans one day to rebuild.  Finally, after more than 15 years, that day has come.

The new building will cost roughly one million dollars US, and some of the funding is coming from the UK and the European Union.  The Montserrat Tourist Board is overseeing the museum reconstruction. The Montserrat architect team of Alford Dyett Associates is designing the new building, which will have beautiful new exhibition areas, a dining area and a gift shop, as well as areas for meetings, storage, and activities.

The new museum will also be designed to accommodate visitors with special needs, and is scheduled to open in January, 2012.

The groundbreaking ceremony was just the latest sign of rebuilding Montserrat, and the strength and recovery in this beautiful place.  Montserrat has moved on tremendously since the eruption in 1995, and you need to see it to believe it.   With a new capital city and new facilities being opened all the time, as well as many of its continuing historic charms, Montserrat offers a unique chance to visit an unspoiled island on the Caribbean.

Why not plan a Montserrat holiday and rent a pretty Montserrat villa so you can see the regrowth and the incredible spirit here for yourself?