The University of the West Indies Mona campus, nestled at the foot of the Blue Mountains east of central Kingston, is the oldest and largest campus of the regional university that serves the English-speaking Caribbean. The grounds are beautiful — mature tropical trees, well-maintained lawns, the blue-grey mountains rising immediately behind — and the campus functions as a miniature cultural centre within Kingston.
The Mona Visitor Centre and the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts both host public exhibitions and performances. The campus museum covers the history of the site from its plantation-era origins. The Undercroft restaurant and the campus bookshop (which stocks the best selection of Caribbean academic literature in Jamaica) are open to the public. A walk through the campus takes an hour and provides some of the most pleasant green space accessible in the eastern half of Kingston.