Round-the-island Tour Part 2:
The Queen's Park Savannah

A mile or so north of Woodford Square, between the downtown area and the hills of the Northern Range, the Queen’s Park Savannah is the city’s largest green space, enjoyed by everyone from joggers and cricketers and Easter kite-flyers to vendors of oysters, corn and coconuts. 

Occupying approximately 260 acres of land, the Savannah is over 180 years old, making it the oldest recreation ground in the West Indies and, reportedly, the world's largest roundabout. It was originally part of the Paradise Estate owned by the Peschier family. In 1817, then governor Sir Ralph Woodford bought it and turned it into a city park. A portion of land in the centre of the Savannah, though, is a burial ground for the members of the Peschier family.

Savannah Days

The Savannah is like the lungs of the capital city – its largest green space – or the concert capital because it is the venue for most big music concerts. At almost any time of day or night, there’s sure to be something going on there. Locals can be seen jogging, cycling and walking their dogs at any hour of day or night. On the weekends and after 4pm during the work week, the Savannah comes alive with football and cricket games, even more jogging, and couples and families talking strolls or having picnics. You can watch cricket or football from the shade of one of the Savannah’s magnificent old trees: a spreading samaan, perhaps, or a scarlet flamboyant, or maybe a fairytale pink poui.

It is home to coconut vendors whose trucks line the street on the western side. Other vendors sell roasted corn, oysters, pholourie and bake and shark, and there's a huge conflagration of food vendors of every description in a paved area opposite the Memorial Square and National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) on the southeastern end. On the Savannah’s southern flank, the grounds host the cultural shows and competitions that take place throughout the year. 
 

'Round de Savannah

The Southeastern End

• The National Museum & Art Gallery: a stroll around the Savannah’s perimeter, starting from the top of Frederick Street at its southeastern end, takes you past the National Museum on your left. Among its collections are paintings by Trinidad’s first major artist, Michel-Jean Cazabon (1813-88), and exhibitions of Carnival arts, natural history, life during World War II, and the energy industry. The national art collection on the upper floor features work by leading local artists. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm. T 623-5941.
• Memorial Park: opposite the National Museum, the Park's cenotaph is in honour of nationals who served and died in military service. There’s an annual wreath-laying ceremony on Remembrance Day.
• The National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA): this new building, opened in November 2009 for the Summit of the Americas, houses a 1,200 seat main auditorium (the Aldwn Roberts, Lord Kitchener Auditorium); with additional stages, practice halls and teaching rooms in the University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT) part of the building.

As you turn on to the road the runs around the Savannah and begin heading west past the huge NAPA comound, the foreign ministry is housed in one of the city’s finest old houses. You then pass the modern regional headquarters of British Petroleum, and the Anglican parish church of All Saints (1845).

The "Magnificent Seven" (Northwestern End)

Ranged along the northwestern side are seven extravagant mansions nicknamed The Magnificent Seven. They date back to around 1900 and display a dizzying range of colonial fantasy. In order, they are:

• Queen’s Royal College (where Dr Eric Williams and the Trinidadian Nobel prizewinner VS Naipaul went to school)
• The Residence of the Anglican bishop
• The Roman Catholic archbishop’s residence
• Mille Fleurs
• Roomor (a private residence)
• Whitehall (for many years the office of the prime minister)
• Stollmeyer’s Castle (or Killarney), the weirdest of them all, partly modelled on Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Northern Side

After Wild Flower Park and the turn-off to Maraval and Maracas Bay at the Savannah’s northwest corner, follow the road along the northern side of the Savannah. On the left Lady Chancellor Hill, next to the zoo, leads up to a lookout point above the city, and is a popular route for joggers.

• The Emperor Valley Zoo: along the northern flank, the Botanic Gardens and the Zoo adjoin the stately President’s House and new Prime Minister's Residence & Diplomatic Centre. The zoo opened in 1952 and was recently renovated. When it opened, it consisted of 2.5 hectares of land, 10 cages, 127 animals, one gatehouse and a kiosk. Today, it is home to hundreds of animals; visitors can refresh themselves at an outdoor café, and there are paths for animal viewing. It is probably the most extensive collection of local and foreign animals in the Caribbean. The macaws are always welcoming, and the big cats, monkeys, tropical fish and reptiles are popular with children. Admission $10 for adults, $5 for children. Open daily 9.30am to 6pm
• The Botanical Gardens: these lovely grounds are a favourite among locals for post-zoo picnics, exercise and relaxation. Their 25 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds spread back from the Queen’s Park Savannah toward the President’s House. Governor Ralph Woodford and botanist David Lockhart, who is buried in a small cemetery in the Gardens, established them in 1820, making it one of the oldest gardens in the western hemisphere. They are home to one of the oldest collections of exotic plants and trees in the western hemisphere. More than 200 species grow in the Orchid Display House. The Gardens are especially popular on weekends and public holidays when school groups, families, couples and strollers come out to take in their ambience and charm. Open daily 6am–6pm. Admission free.
• President’s House: fronted by its own manicured gardens. The roundabout beyond gives access to the suburbs of St. Ann’s and Cascade (left) and the Lady Young Road which snakes over the foothills to join the highway out of the city heading east. You can see the Queen's Hall, Trinidad Hilton, and Carlton Savannah from the roundabout beyond the President's House.

The Eastern Side

Along the eastern side of the Savannah, more renovation and construction are taking place, with banks, restaurants, and government ministries. This end is also where you can enter the eastern suburbs of Belmont, and Laventille further south past Memorial Park.

More in our round-the-island Trinidad tour:

• Touring Trinidad part 1: A walk around the capital, Port of Spain
  
• Touring Trinidad part 3: the Port of Spain suburbs
• Touring Trinidad part 4: Chaguramas & the northwest peninsula
• Touring Trinidad part 5: Heading north: the north coast & northern range
• Touring Trinidad part 6: Heading northeast: the East-west corridoor & northeast coasts
• Touring Trinidad part 7: The east coast: Mayaro & Manzanilla
• Touring Trinidad part 8: Central & the west coast
• Touring Trinidad part 9: The second capital: San Fernando
• Touring Trinidad part 10: Trinidad's southwest: the "deep south"