Paramaribo Zoo

The Suriname theater company was founded in 1837 and is the oldest theater company of the Caribbean. The Thalia theater building was opened in 1840, but after its 2011 renovation it now seats 500.

This Roman Catholic cathedral is one of the biggest wooden structures on the entire American continent. Building started in 1883 and the church was consecrated two years later. The towers were not finished before 1901 though, and the characteristic yellow and grey painting of the outside was done only in 1926. The design of the church was inspired by the Redemptorist church in Roosendaal and the (then new) Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Boston, while the interior, carried out in unpainted cedar wood, was a Surinamese design. Poor restoration efforts were undertaken in the late 1970s, leaving the building in need of new repairs shortly after. Finally, termite damage and severe tilting led to the closure of the cathedral in 1989 for safety reasons. The Vatican provided some funds for initial repairs in the mid 1990s and after fundraising efforts and a large EU grant, thorough restorations were carried out between 2007 and 2010. The cathedral was re-opened for the public in that year. Only the large organ, of which most of the pipes had been stolen, is still a work in progress.

The Palm garden, a small park filled with king palms behind the Presidential Palace, was part of the original city plans of Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck, the first Dutch governor. He opened the garden for public in 1685, but was murdered only three years later, after which the property was closed again. Not until the early 20th century was the Palm Garden re-opened. In 2009 it was restored with funds from UNESCO. It has a small play ground now, some statues and benches to hang out on, making it a pleasant, shady place on a hot day. Except on holidays, when the place comes to life with food stalls and such, the garden is best avoided after sundown for the lighting is poor and the place attracts less friendly crowds.

Highlight of this small museum is a 1679 copper Parrot coin. You'll probably need to have a real interest in the history of money to fully appreciate the collection on display, but there's no admission fee and walking in for a quick glance can't hurt. The museum is part of the Bank of Suriname, and it's housed in one of the nice colonial building. It holds almost every legal currency used in Suriname since the late 17th century.

The square is the heart of Paramaribo surrounded by important buildings like the Presidential Palace, Court of Justice, the Parliament. It's used as a place for festivals like Carisfesta XI in 2013. Normally there's not much activity, but on Sundays men exercise the national hobby: letting their caged birds sing.

Paramaribo's distinctive historic city centre, packed with wooden buildings from colonial times, has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since July 2002. It's the planned nature and remarkable architecture that makes this place unique. The spacious, tree-lined street plan was laid out by the first Dutch governor in the 17th century. Most of the mansions originate from the first half of the 19th century however, as they had to be rebuilt after large city fires in 1821 and 1832. The designs are clearly inspired by Dutch architecture of the time, but incorporated a range of indigenous techniques and used local materials. The Waterkant and Mr.Lim A Postraat have some of the best examples. Many of the wooden houses are in dire need of restoration, however, to the point where UNESCO has urged the state to address the problem and threatened to revoke the city's status.