nelson's dockyard

We only had 45 mins there on a tour last time so we took the local bus for 3 dollars. Bus station is less than10 mins walk from cruise terminal, be cateful of uneven and very high pavements. 30-40 minute ride, depends on drop offs, they seem to stop anywhere locals want to.We spent nearly 3 hrs there so I could do the museum justice as well as having lunch. Bus back stops outside the main entrance. If you wanted the beach we were told to turn left outside the main entrance and walk down to pigeon point and then back up when you wanted. No time table but buses go back and forward and our return driver didn't wait till he was full.

This is a well preserved site which has been renovated to provide a somewhat rustic shopping mall experience. As we visited one matron walked in to the museum, signed Museum on the door and asked "is this the museum". There were plenty of cruise ship shoppers there, if you have been to other historic forts and sites then this may be a disappointment

We visited Nelson's Dockyard as part of a ship's excursion. We were given a very brief explanation of the dockyard and its function, and then given an hour to explore on our own. I would have liked to have spent more time there to explore the little shops, the historical buildings, and the dockyards. There was also a covered market place with vendors' stalls which looked very interesting. We enjoyed looking at the beautiful yachts and even saw a couple of wild goats grazing nearby. If we had made the trip on our own, I think we could have easily spent several hours just wandering around exploring this pleasant, interesting place.

An easy and highly enjoyable day trip from St John's Antigua to English harbour and return. If you are in town on a cruise port day, don't take the ships shore excursion. Hire a car (they will deliver it to the port area). The first tip is - don't follow the tour buses, you don't want to be around Nelson's Dockyards or the surrounding scenic areas when a bunch of tour buses are there. Second tip, get yourself a street map as there are lots of one way streets in St John's. From the port area take either Nevis St up and left on Temple across to Long then into Church Lane for your first stop at St John's Cathedral. The building is still closed off waiting restoration but it's worth a short stop to take in the wonderful architecture and the views. Then, head out along Sir Sydney Walling Highway for a stop at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (if you aren't interested in cricket, give this a miss). Continue on through All Saints and up along the Ridge to Dow's Hill Fort, Get that button finger ready as it will be busy as you visit The Royal Artillery Quarters, the Blockhouse, Fort Shirley at Shirley heights, The lookout and the Signal Station. Hopefully by now the tour busses will have vacated Nelsons Dockyards where you will want to spend a couple of hours. Return to St John's via the more direct route along All Saints Road.

I love history and was looking forward to seeing what Nelson's Dockyard was all about. While there are some great views and nice buildings, I left feeling underwhelmed. The museum was ok but nothing spectacular.

Lovely old restored buildings. Couple of gift shops, one sweet boutique. A bar overlooking the bay of pretty luxury boats.

A lot of walking, but being a young 50 something I enjoyed the day seeing a lot of history, we were on a official tour from P.& O. s. ship the Oceana. A lovely location & very well kept. Would go there again.Definately

Charismatic historical location, nicely kept, with a wonderful mix of historical buildings and yachts to look at in a beautiful location. The best of Antigua

Worth it in spades. Get the local bus from St Johns, currently the no 17, takes about 45 mins and is in itself a really interesting trip. The dockyard itself is fascinating - the only Georgian dockyard in the world and the Nelsonian associations are, of course, a real draw. The buildings are in use so it is not fossilized, the museum excellent too. Lots to see - and some great shops and bars if you just want to sit and chill - love it!

Worth the visit if you are doing it as part of a trip but don't especially just to here.............

lots of history and amazing boats to see we went through on a speedboat tour. Also old buildings and remnants of the old british naval boat yard.

It is the obvious Tourist attraction with all its history which is presented well in the Admiral's House but get there early. Lots of places to eat and drink. The Bakery is excellent if you want a light snack and drink. The Ticket includes your entrance to Shirley Heights. We had coffee in The Admiral's Inn Hotel with seats by the water's edge and way from the tourists.1.5 to 2 hours is more than enough especially when all the cruise excursions arrive.

It was lovely to have a trip around the island and to visit Nelson's Dockyard. We didn't have very long here but nice to see some of the history of the island. Popped into the museum and had a look at some amazing private boats.

Beautifully restored, very good restaurant and a lot to think about afterwards.Getting ready for Antigua sailing week too, so the billionaire's playthings were arriving

Well worth a visit to see the original buildings which are now in use for various commercial purposes, which seem to be mainly aimed at the large numbers of cruise ship passengers who visit, and with interesting small museum. Nice place to chill, eat, drink and watch the activity on the boats moored there and coming and going. Only ATM and bank we found in the area situated here. Nice bakery with lovely meat or veggy patties. Water taxi available to Galleon Beach