The Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources, through its Division of Libraries, Archives, and Museums, is inviting the community to help shape the future of the territory’s most historically significant landmarks, Fort Christian Museum on St. Thomas and Fort Frederik Museum on St. Croix.
As both sites move through disaster recovery and restoration planning, DPNR has launched a conceptual exhibition planning process designed to ensure future exhibits reflect the authentic stories, cultures, and lived experiences of Virgin Islanders. “These forts belong to the people of the Virgin Islands, and it is essential that this project reflect the voices, values, and lived experiences of our residents. The multicultural richness and deep historical legacy of the Virgin Islands provide tremendous opportunities to thoughtfully curate exhibits that are educational, inclusive, engaging, and representative of our collective heritage,” said Amy Parker De Sorbo, territorial director of the Division of Libraries, Museums, and Archives.
According to DPNR, both Fort Museums have been designated as disaster recovery projects and are currently undergoing architectural and engineering review ahead of future renovations. Officials say completing the conceptual planning phase now will establish the interpretive foundation for the future exhibit fabrication and installation once restoration work on the structures is complete.
Fort Frederik, in particular, carries deep historical significance as the site where Virgin Islands ancestors courageously demanded and secured their freedom during the 1848 emancipation uprising, which is recognized as the second successful uprising to end slavery in the Western Hemisphere.
“These Fort Museums are not simply historic buildings; they are civic memory keepers. They hold the stories of resistance, governance, culture, labor, trade, freedom, and identity that shape the Virgin Islands. The conceptual planning phase gives us the opportunity to think carefully about how those stories should be told, whose voices should be centered, and how future generations will experience these spaces,” said Jozette Walker, assistant commissioner of DPNR.
According to the department, each session will include a 15-minute presentation outlining proposed exhibition themes and interpretive storytelling directions, followed by a community question-and-answer discussion with the project team. Residents will also have the opportunity to provide additional feedback through an online public survey.
DPNR officials say community feedback gathered during the town hall meetings will be reviewed alongside recommendations from DPNR staff, historians, scholars, and cultural stakeholders. The combined input will then be shared with Howard + Revis, the exhibition design firm responsible for developing conceptual plans for the museums.
“The town halls allow us to hear what residents believe must be preserved, interpreted, corrected, expanded, and elevated. That feedback will help ensure that future exhibitions reflect a broader and more authentic Virgin Islands story,” Monica Marin, chief curator for the Division of Libraries, Archives, and Museums, said.
Officials say the online survey is another important component of the public engagement process, allowing residents who cannot attend the meetings to still contribute their ideas and perspectives.
“The online survey gives the broader community another doorway into the planning process. Not everyone can attend a town hall, but many residents have valuable memories, perspectives, and expectations for these museums. Their responses will help sharpen the final conceptual plans so that the exhibitions are not only professionally designed, but locally informed and culturally rooted,” Walker said.
Marin added that survey responses will help curators identify themes and stories that deserve deeper interpretations. “Survey responses help us look for patterns in what the community values most. They can point us toward stories that need deeper interpretation, voices that should be included, and experiences that will make the museums more meaningful to students, families, residents, researchers, and visitors,” Marin said.
DPNR expects the final conceptual plans for both museums to be completed by August 2026. Those plans will guide future exhibition design, fabrication, and installation once restoration of the historic structures is finished.
Officials encourage residents across the territory to participate in the planning process and help shape how Virgin Islands history will be preserved and shared with future generations.
The Fort Christian Museum virtual town hall is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. using the Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 254 059 854 527 850 and the passcode yL3CH7tX.
The Fort Frederik Museum virtual town hall is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. using the Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 280 538 223 443 173 and the passcode HD6yTi7.
No registration is required to participate.
