The Virgin Islands Folk Museum (98 Main St., 284/494-3701, ext. 5005, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Mon.–Fri., free) is up a short flight of stairs in a traditional home built by shipwright Joseph Wilfred Penn in 1911. The three-room museum houses a small collection of pre-Columbian and plantation-era artifacts, an exhibit of traditional architecture, and crockery salvaged from the wreck of the RMS Rhone, which sank off Salt Island in 1867.
There is no razzle-dazzle to the exhibits, but if you are truly interested in the BVI’s history the museum is a valuable resource. A small shop in the rear sells modern-day arts and crafts, books, and T-shirts. The museum is occasionally closed during its regularly published opening hours; call ahead to confirm.