French Heritage Museum
Museums and attractionsSt. ThomasFrenchtownLast verified October 31, 2026
Photo: Gruepig, CC BY-SA 4.0
The French Heritage Museum in Frenchtown tells the story of the French families who came to St. Thomas from St. Barthelemy in the 1800s; the fishermen among them settled the village then called Carenage. The Frenchtown Civic Organization leased the site from the government in 2002 to create the museum, in a 1944 building that was the village fire station, then a health clinic and later a kindergarten. Collections include photographs of the harbor before it was dredged, basket weaving, household artifacts and a library of books mostly in French. The museum's website gives hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday to Friday, while the Department of Tourism lists 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., so call ahead; it also arranges private tours. Each July 14 the organization holds Frenchtown's Bastille Day celebration, a tradition of more than 90 years, at the museum and the Joseph Aubain Field parking lot.
Services
- Exhibits on Frenchtown's French heritage
- Library of books mostly in French
- Private tours by arrangement
- Bastille Day celebration each July 14
How we checked
Last verified on October 31, 2026. The business has not reviewed this listing.
Source: French Heritage Museum website, https://www.frenchheritagemuseumvi.org/ (collections, library, phone), https://www.frenchheritagemuseumvi.org/about-us (Frenchtown Civic Organization founded 1958; January 31, 2002, lease at Estate Altona and Welgunst; 1944 fire station, later the Olive and Bernier Health Clinic and a kindergarten; settlers from St. Barthelemy, fishermen in Carenage) and https://www.frenchheritagemuseumvi.org/contact (hours 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday, private tours by phone or email); the website's footer reads 2023 and its events list ends in 2023; USVI Department of Tourism listing, https://www.visitusvi.com/listing/st-thomas/172/french-heritage-museum/ (hours 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday, same phone); St. Thomas Source, July 17, 2026, https://stthomassource.com/content/2026/07/17/french-heritage-museum-fundraiser-brunch-to-support-preservation-e%ef%ac%80orts/ (museum in Frenchtown, operating for more than two decades) and July 9, 2026, https://stthomassource.com/content/2026/07/09/frenchtown-to-celebrate-over-nine-decades-of-bastille-day-tradition-on-july-14/ (Frenchtown Civic Organization's annual Bastille Day celebration on July 14 at the museum and the Joseph Aubain Field parking lot, a tradition of over 90 years); all accessed 2026-10-31.
USVI Realty does not rank, rate or endorse the businesses in this directory. Hours, prices and seasons change, so check with the business before you go.
Around Frenchtown
Photo: LittleT889, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
