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Kings House is located at Vale Royal on Montrose Road which lies between Hope Road and Old Hope Road. It is the Official residence of the Governor General and the gardens are open to the public daily, the property is set in 80 landscaped hectares.
Hope Botanical Gardens and Zoo is located on Hope Road and was founded in 1881. It was named after Richard Hope, a British Army Commander who lived there in the mid 17th Century. It is the largest botanical garden in the West Indies and comprises of a cactus garden, sago palms, and an orchid house, a variety of greenhouses, an ornamental pond, a forest garden and an aviary. The gardens are free admission but the small zoo carries an entrance fee.
Sir William Grant Park is Located in the centre of Down Town, Kingston, and the Park was named in honour of the 1938 labour leader William Grant who was an associate of the Rt. Honourable Sir Alexander Bustamante, National Hero and former Prime Minister. Originally, the park was named in honour of Queen Victoria of England, after independence was granted the name was changed to the present name. There are a number of monuments, the main one, is that of Queen Victoria, the statue of National Hero the Rt. Excellent Norman Manley is to the north of the Park and to the south is the statue of the Rt. Excellent Sir Alexander Bustamante.
Just before the Park, the 1,000-seat Ward Theatre is located. There has been both indoor and open air theatre on this site for over two Centuries. The current theatre was rebuilt after the earthquake in 1907, and is now most well-known for its distinctive Jamaican pantomime season which opens annually on 26 December, though there are musical and theatrical events all through the year.
The Institute of Jamaica is located on East Street and was established in 1879 by Sir Anthony Musgrave, who was Governor at that time. There are six Divisions of the Institute of Jamaica: The Natural History Division, The National Gallery of Jamaica, The African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank; The Museums Division; and two Junior Centres (East Street and Portmore).
The Institute is renowned for its collection of historic documents regarding the Caribbean, and next door, the National Library has the biggest collection of books, articles and prints in the West Indies. The Institute also houses the Natural History Museum, and exhibits the preserved animals and plants found on the Island. The Herbarium contains over 125,000 specimens.
The Jamaica Conference Centre with its super modern convention hall is located between Church St. and Duke Street (off Ocean Boulevard). It is only open on Thursday’s between 11.00am and 2.00 pm. It has restaurants, gardens, offices and in-bond and souvenir shops on-site that are open daily.
The Jamaica Defence Force Museum is located in Up Park camp, off South Camp Road. The museum showcases the weaponry, medals and uniforms of the West Indies Regiment and the Jamaica Infantry Militia that existed from 1662 to 1906. There are also captivating plans of the many forts that were built around Kingston in the 18th Century.
St Andrew Scots Kirk Church is located on Duke Street and is just one of several impressive old buildings. The Church was initially constructed in 1819 in an octagonal shaped stone and brick structure with grand mahogany pillars. The Church was rebuilt on its original foundations after being devastated by the 1907 earthquake.
The University of the West Indies is located off Old Hope Road (past the Mona Reservoir). The university campus was originally part of the Mona Sugar Estate. You could be forgiven, if you thought you had been transported back in time as you see the old aqueducts, machinery and other remnants of its agricultural history. The Chapel that is near the entrance was originally a sugar warehouse on the Gales Valley Estate in Trelawny. It was dismantled and reconstructed on its current site.
The National Hero’s Park is located on the former site of the Kingston Race Course (and is still known as Racecourse). It is the largest remaining green space and it regularly accommodates football and cricket matches. The park was originally named the George VI Memorial Park, in honour of the late King of England, but after Jamaica gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962, the park was redesigned and its name was altered to National Heroes Park. It is now the resting place of three of Jamaica’s National Heroes: Marcus Garvey, Sir Alexander Bustamante and Norman Washington Manley. The park also has many sculptures that commemorate the lives of Jamaica’s National Heroes. There is also a Cemetery, where such Jamaican luminaries as previous Prime Ministers Michael Manley and Sir Donald Sangster are laid to rest.
The park is also the burial site for 140 elderly women killed in a fire at the Myers Ward of the Eventide Home for the Aged in 1980. A monument marks the mass grave containing the women's remains.
The Prime Minister at that time, Michael Manley, declared May 26th, 1980 - the day on which the Eventide women were laid to rest in National Heroes Park - a day of National Mourning for the country.
The Jamaica War Memorial erected in tribute to those soldiers, who died during World War’s one and two, is also sited in National Heroes Park. The Island’s Defence Force maintains a continuous vigil at the Cenotaph. A ceremonial changing of the guard, accompanied by music of the Jamaica Military Band, occurs on the first Sunday of every month at 09:00 a.m. Ceremonial Guards perform a series of drills each morning for an hour, commencing at 08.00am.
The National Stadium is located on Arthur Wint Drive and was finished in time for the festivities of Jamaica’s Independence in August 1962. It is known locally as ‘Stadium’ and has been used as a venue for welcoming various Foreign Dignitaries and musical events. Accommodating around 40,000 spectators, the stadium has facilities for all main track and field sports. The National Arena nearby is a venue for trade shows, cultural exhibitions, Political party conferences, Religious crusades, and beauty contests. There is a bronze statue of Bob Marley Close to the arena.
For cricket fans, Sabina Park is the island’s test cricket centre. it is located at on South Camp Road.
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