Sights and attractions in St. Thomas

St. Thomas Highlights

St. Thomas offers a blend of Danish colonial history and Caribbean maritime lore. This list features 17th-century fortifications like Blackbeard’s and Bluebeard’s Castles, alongside the 99 Steps, built from Danish ship ballast bricks. Visitors can explore the Pirate Treasure Museum’s shipwreck artifacts or take in panoramic views of Magens Bay from Drake’s Seat. The selection also includes the Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge, a sanctuary for migratory birds, and Emancipation Gardens, which commemorates the 1848 abolition of slavery in the Danish West Indies.

St. Thomas Highlights — Map

A

Blackbeard's Castle

A mysterious castle where the Caribbean pirates used to go. Its name comes from Blackbeard the Pirate.

National Park Service Digital Image… / Public domain

B

Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge

Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge is located about 2 miles south of the island of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands of the United States.

C

Bluebeard's Castle

This historic site with great view over St. Thomas Harbour is the first building that incoming ships see.

D

Pirate Treasure Museum

Features interactive exhibits showcasing authentic artifacts recovered from shipwrecks using deep-sea technology. Displays focus on maritime history and the Odyssey Marine Exploration discoveries.

E

99 Steps

A "step-street" constructed by the Danes in the mid-1700s using bricks brought over as ship ballast. It connects the lower streets of Charlotte Amalie to the historic hills above.

F

Drake's Seat

A stone bench and lookout point offering panoramic views of Magens Bay and the British Virgin Islands. Legend suggests Sir Francis Drake used this vantage point to watch for approaching ships.

G

Market Square

A place in the town where you can buy food, fish, local products, crafts, arts etc. The market is open-air.

H

Emancipation Gardens Park

Let yourself be fanned with sea breeze in this calm park! It was founded as a memory of abolition of slavery.

Other Lists

St. Thomas Essentials Historic Churches & Landmarks