Nassau Public Library

A distinctive octagonal building in downtown Nassau, erected in the late eighteenth century as a jail before its conversion into the public library and museum. Its unusual eight-sided form, arranged over several floors linked by a spiral stair, once held prisoners in the small cells that now shelve books. The collection includes historical documents, colonial-era maps and Arawak artefacts. The building's odd shape and layered history make it one of the more curious heritage structures near the parliament complex in the capital's centre.