Parliament Buildings

The Parliament Buildings stand on the north side of National Heroes Square in two matching coral-stone structures: the East Wing for the Senate, the West Wing for the House of Assembly. They were completed in 1874 in a restrained Gothic Revival style, and the clock tower of the West Wing has become an informal symbol of Bridgetown.

The buildings are working parliamentary chambers, but guided tours operate on non-sitting days. Inside you will find the original wooden Speaker's chair, portraits of Barbadian political figures, and the mace used in ceremonial sessions. For architecture, the best view is from the square itself: the soft coral stone takes on warm amber tones in the late afternoon. The grounds around the buildings have information panels about Barbadian constitutional history.

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A story
The Barbados Parliament is one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, having met continuously since 1639 — older than the US Congress by 150 years. The current neo-Gothic buildings date from 1874, built from local coral stone that glows golden in afternoon light.