Greenwood Great House
Greenwood Great House
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Built during an era of elegance and brutality, Greenwood has retained the atmosphere of the 19th century and continues to capture the imagination of its visitors. The house was built by the Barretts of Wimpole Street London in 1800. Unique among local plantation houses, Greenwood survived unscathed during the slave rebellion of Christmas 1831. It still has most of its original furniture including the largest and rarest collection of musical instruments and books in the island.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
212 reviews
Excellent
133
Very good
63
Average
9
Poor
4
Terrible
3
David D
Dixon, MO272 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
We toured the Greenwood Great House while on vacation. Every vacation my wife says I need to learn something, so this was my something LOL. The tour guide was great and of course very knowledgeable. There are so many antique musical instruments, amazing furniture, and the surprising part to me is how open it all is.
When we were there, we actually did a tour with a school group from Nigral, a wonderful group of kids and they really made it fun. That was our bonus :)
This is worth the visit and you will some some amazing views from the house!
When we were there, we actually did a tour with a school group from Nigral, a wonderful group of kids and they really made it fun. That was our bonus :)
This is worth the visit and you will some some amazing views from the house!
Written 28 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Malcolm S
Farmington, NM79 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
This tour a property is definitely off of the beaten path but the trip makes the tour extra special. We learned a lot about the house & what is in it. The road getting up to the property is sketchy but is well worth it (don't be frightened off by the drive). The tour guide was fantastic. The property is beautiful & definitely well maintained. Take this tour if you have a chance.
Written 11 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fearless27576
Trinidad, Caribbean1 contribution
I was in shock and awe at the magnificence of the antiques held at the Greenwood Great house. These items which include several precursors to the modern day record/cd players are in excellent condition and still able to produce the music of the times. Most of the furniture is over 200 years old with two pieces over 400 years old. There is a bath sized dish carvedfrom a solid block of cedar and an ancient water purification contraption. What is most unusual is that the present owners actually occupy the residence where all but the kitchen and bath are furnished and equipped with museum pieces. I would encourage anyone visiting Jamaica to pay the house a visit .If old furniture, paintings and other household items do not interest you, go for the stupendous 180 dgeree view from the verandah. Your horizon is no longer a straight line but the curve of the earth,s surface and as you look out to sea you feel that you are in outer space viewing the earth. That is Shock and Awe in the best possible way.
Written 23 June 2003
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bruce S
Paradise Valley, AZ26 contributions
Dec 2014 • Friends
Had it not been for our knowledgeable driver, we would not have found this wonderful museum. The drive is through meandering streets lined with homes of all sizes, eras and quality. We learned about how the area developed and the different land uses over the centuries.
Greenwood House was built by the Barrett family of Great Britain which included the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning (which begs the question about why this is called the Greenwood House). The property once included thousands of acres of plantation and wet lands that are visible from the home's grand veranda.
The home has purportedly been continuously inhabited and thus retains much of its authentic charm and furnishings. The home survived the fires from the revolts.
The tour is led by Bob who, with his wife, reside in and maintain the property exquisitely. Bob is not only a wealth of knowledge but he is a splendid story-teller and docent. He kept us engaged in the fascinating history of the home, the visitors and the region.
Furnishings are in immaculate condition including once-innovative musical instruments and multitudes of furniture, art and other antiques. We were told how the British would come to Jamaica from all over the world. They would leave gifts from Europe, Turkey, China, Japan, Africa, the Americas and elsewhere. Many of these gifts are still there. My son was especially fascinated by the 17th century map and Charles Dickens' first edition. My wife liked the romantic-era parlor furniture.
We learned about the inhabitants and the parties. We heard about the whistlers in the kitchen. We heard about the sugar plantation and the slave revolts. We heard about Spaniards, Brits (including Captain Bligh) and Americans. We heard about young lads courting their ladies.
Small children may get bored but for those looking for authentic history, Greenwood is a grand Jamaican museum. Of the Great Houses that we visited, this would be the one not to miss.
Greenwood House was built by the Barrett family of Great Britain which included the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning (which begs the question about why this is called the Greenwood House). The property once included thousands of acres of plantation and wet lands that are visible from the home's grand veranda.
The home has purportedly been continuously inhabited and thus retains much of its authentic charm and furnishings. The home survived the fires from the revolts.
The tour is led by Bob who, with his wife, reside in and maintain the property exquisitely. Bob is not only a wealth of knowledge but he is a splendid story-teller and docent. He kept us engaged in the fascinating history of the home, the visitors and the region.
Furnishings are in immaculate condition including once-innovative musical instruments and multitudes of furniture, art and other antiques. We were told how the British would come to Jamaica from all over the world. They would leave gifts from Europe, Turkey, China, Japan, Africa, the Americas and elsewhere. Many of these gifts are still there. My son was especially fascinated by the 17th century map and Charles Dickens' first edition. My wife liked the romantic-era parlor furniture.
We learned about the inhabitants and the parties. We heard about the whistlers in the kitchen. We heard about the sugar plantation and the slave revolts. We heard about Spaniards, Brits (including Captain Bligh) and Americans. We heard about young lads courting their ladies.
Small children may get bored but for those looking for authentic history, Greenwood is a grand Jamaican museum. Of the Great Houses that we visited, this would be the one not to miss.
Written 18 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maiden Voyage
London53 contributions
We were looking forward to going to to Greenwood Great House,we started off from Negril and after a hour and a half we turned into the area of Greenwood.
The Road to it was terrible and it was worse coming up to the driveway,i was wondering at this point was there anything there,i am sure people must have turned away at this point.
When we drove into the car park ,there was nobody about and it was completely empty anyway we were greeted by a jamaican young lady,very nice and we followed her to get the tickets.
When we got to the front desk a woman came to the desk ,she didnt look at us only opened her mouth to mentioned it was $14us each.
Asked her do you take credit cards and her answer in a very bad manner was NO.
we had money on us but it was not enough (there was 5 of us).
i got ....ed off and walked out.
My disappointed was that this woman was very cold and not friendly at all ,did not make us feel welcome,considering that at the moment in jamaica they need the tourist pound and we were the only one at this place,she should have been gratefull any body turned up.
We ended up going to Rose hall and glad we did ,very interesting ,friendly staff and they took credit cards
When people are running a business (as i do)they need to take a course in CUSTOMER SERVICE.
The Road to it was terrible and it was worse coming up to the driveway,i was wondering at this point was there anything there,i am sure people must have turned away at this point.
When we drove into the car park ,there was nobody about and it was completely empty anyway we were greeted by a jamaican young lady,very nice and we followed her to get the tickets.
When we got to the front desk a woman came to the desk ,she didnt look at us only opened her mouth to mentioned it was $14us each.
Asked her do you take credit cards and her answer in a very bad manner was NO.
we had money on us but it was not enough (there was 5 of us).
i got ....ed off and walked out.
My disappointed was that this woman was very cold and not friendly at all ,did not make us feel welcome,considering that at the moment in jamaica they need the tourist pound and we were the only one at this place,she should have been gratefull any body turned up.
We ended up going to Rose hall and glad we did ,very interesting ,friendly staff and they took credit cards
When people are running a business (as i do)they need to take a course in CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Written 6 April 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bob G
Louisville, KY24 contributions
Dec 2014 • Couples
Our cruise port stop in Falmouth Jamaica, allowed for a 4-5 hour stay and we made the most of it. We try to not use on-ship tours as we hate to wait for the inconsiderate, and hate to pass an off the beaten path attraction without our option to visit.
So after docking we bypassed the closed-in port stores and approved taxi stand and escaped to the real(?) Falmouth where we were approached by a big friendly man named Wayne Ferguson who is the proprietor of WOF VIP Tours ( www.wofjamaicatours.com).
We explained that we were history buffs and would like to go see the Rose Hall Great House...Wayne told us that there was a better option, the Greenwood Great House and because we hired him for a few hours we would have enough time to see both.
Wayne walked us over a few blocks to his car where he handed us off to a wonderful female tour guide, and we set out for Greenwood and within a few minutes of the port we were bumping along on the original carriage road that leads to the house which is located "up the hill" situated in a beautiful old garden setting. The admission was $20 US per person and very well worth it.
Our house guide was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic young woman named Trich who gave us the details of both the house, its original and unique furnishings and history, which included Richard Barrett, cousin of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning who was purported to be the home's original builder way back when, a nice connection.
The building is original and still lived in and features one of the most beautiful second story wrap around porch we have ever seen. It looks out to a 180 degree view of the ocean, while designed to and still capturing the cooling breeze that seemed to always be present. We finished up our tour in the bar where a pleasant woman named Patricia added to the friendly atmosphere.
Our next stop was Rose Hall which we found had a colorful history (true?) but had been destroyed by its slaves (true?) and rebuilt within the recent past.
Unlike Greenwood's original furnishings, Rose Hall was filled with "correct to the period" furnishings, wall and floor coverings...not original, but still worth a visit to see its opulence and listen to the guide describe the Mistress of the House's misadventures, murder and mayhem.
Our few hour tour concluded at a local grocery store in Falmouth where our wonderful guide ( and new friend) volunteered to help my wife choose and purchase the local spices used in the famous indigenous recipe's we all know.
Big Wayne is now our guy in Jamaica.
So after docking we bypassed the closed-in port stores and approved taxi stand and escaped to the real(?) Falmouth where we were approached by a big friendly man named Wayne Ferguson who is the proprietor of WOF VIP Tours ( www.wofjamaicatours.com).
We explained that we were history buffs and would like to go see the Rose Hall Great House...Wayne told us that there was a better option, the Greenwood Great House and because we hired him for a few hours we would have enough time to see both.
Wayne walked us over a few blocks to his car where he handed us off to a wonderful female tour guide, and we set out for Greenwood and within a few minutes of the port we were bumping along on the original carriage road that leads to the house which is located "up the hill" situated in a beautiful old garden setting. The admission was $20 US per person and very well worth it.
Our house guide was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic young woman named Trich who gave us the details of both the house, its original and unique furnishings and history, which included Richard Barrett, cousin of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning who was purported to be the home's original builder way back when, a nice connection.
The building is original and still lived in and features one of the most beautiful second story wrap around porch we have ever seen. It looks out to a 180 degree view of the ocean, while designed to and still capturing the cooling breeze that seemed to always be present. We finished up our tour in the bar where a pleasant woman named Patricia added to the friendly atmosphere.
Our next stop was Rose Hall which we found had a colorful history (true?) but had been destroyed by its slaves (true?) and rebuilt within the recent past.
Unlike Greenwood's original furnishings, Rose Hall was filled with "correct to the period" furnishings, wall and floor coverings...not original, but still worth a visit to see its opulence and listen to the guide describe the Mistress of the House's misadventures, murder and mayhem.
Our few hour tour concluded at a local grocery store in Falmouth where our wonderful guide ( and new friend) volunteered to help my wife choose and purchase the local spices used in the famous indigenous recipe's we all know.
Big Wayne is now our guy in Jamaica.
Written 18 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John D
Elkhart, IN85 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
The house is probably best known for being built by the Barrett family, who in turn is best known in America for its daughter, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, but like most other groups and associations in history, there's a lot more to the story.
Without telling the story for the owners, which I could never hope to do so well, let me just say that that Greenwood in its modern incarnation preserves and educates on the Plantation era of Jamaican history in an honest, complete and objective way that anyone and everyone can appreciate. Mixed with the astonishing collection of excellently curated and restored artifacts, furniture and especially musical instruments and devices, this is a tour worthwhile for anyone appreciative of human history, innovation and craftsmanship.
The present owners, far from absentee landlords, have obviously taken great pains and spent many hours and resources in obtaining, restoring, protecting and finally making available historically important furnishings, documents and implements that they have then graciously made available to the public. I only wish that more people understood and took advantage of this wonderful opportunity to immerse themselves in this tremendous collection.
Without telling the story for the owners, which I could never hope to do so well, let me just say that that Greenwood in its modern incarnation preserves and educates on the Plantation era of Jamaican history in an honest, complete and objective way that anyone and everyone can appreciate. Mixed with the astonishing collection of excellently curated and restored artifacts, furniture and especially musical instruments and devices, this is a tour worthwhile for anyone appreciative of human history, innovation and craftsmanship.
The present owners, far from absentee landlords, have obviously taken great pains and spent many hours and resources in obtaining, restoring, protecting and finally making available historically important furnishings, documents and implements that they have then graciously made available to the public. I only wish that more people understood and took advantage of this wonderful opportunity to immerse themselves in this tremendous collection.
Written 26 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Razzberri
Kuwait City, Kuwait129 contributions
July 2012 • Solo
As an English teacher, I found this to be simply fascinating. I sat on an old bench for a little while and wondered how peaceful it must have been for her to construct some of the most beautiful poetry here...
Written 31 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DrCanadaGoose
Ottawa, Canada143 contributions
Feb 2011
We visited by taxi from Silver Sands. Entrance cost us $20 per adult and $10 per child so $60 US for our family. We thought that was a bit steep but once we were on the tour, were very impressed with the collection of antiques and in particular, the musical instruments. The polyphone was amazing; the knowledgeable and friendly tour guide made it play for us and it was a beautiful sound. Our 7 and 9 year old girls enjoyed the tour as well. The road up is awful but we would visit again.
Written 4 March 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheDon70
Indian Land, SC66 contributions
Dec 2015 • Couples
On Christmas Day, My wife and I, along with friends, toured the Greenwood Greathouse - on the border of St. James and Trelawny, about fifteen miles from Montego Bay and seven miles from Falmouth.
We had the most wonderful, knowledgeable and elegant guide named Thora who was an expert in Greenwood's history as well as every artifact in the museum. Thora leisurely guided us, room by elegant room, through the manse and had perfect and eloquent answers to every question. Unlike many guides these days, Thora's evident excitement and enthusiasm made every lecture enthralling (I have short patience for guides who speak like computers and I usually wander away when that happens).
Our driver, through Juta Tours, was Barrington, whom I nicknamed "Barrington the Magnificent". He narrated our tour from Montego Bay because Estrella, our bus guide from Juta Tours, though very knowledgable, only spoke Spanish. Barrington kept us laughing on the entire trip and we will seek him out on our next trip to Jamaica.
Though we have been to Jamaica 35 times, we somehow missed Greenwood. it's situated high on a hill, surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens overlooking the coastline and is constantly bathed in gentle breezes rendering air conditioning unnecessary. Don't miss it.
We had the most wonderful, knowledgeable and elegant guide named Thora who was an expert in Greenwood's history as well as every artifact in the museum. Thora leisurely guided us, room by elegant room, through the manse and had perfect and eloquent answers to every question. Unlike many guides these days, Thora's evident excitement and enthusiasm made every lecture enthralling (I have short patience for guides who speak like computers and I usually wander away when that happens).
Our driver, through Juta Tours, was Barrington, whom I nicknamed "Barrington the Magnificent". He narrated our tour from Montego Bay because Estrella, our bus guide from Juta Tours, though very knowledgable, only spoke Spanish. Barrington kept us laughing on the entire trip and we will seek him out on our next trip to Jamaica.
Though we have been to Jamaica 35 times, we somehow missed Greenwood. it's situated high on a hill, surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens overlooking the coastline and is constantly bathed in gentle breezes rendering air conditioning unnecessary. Don't miss it.
Written 30 December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nonagomez
Plymouth, United Kingdom
We are so interested in doing this tour which taxi service is recommended for this tour
Written 4 November 2019
wondertourist22
San Francisco, California
We used Next Level Jamaica Tours for our airport transfers and day trips - on all occasions everything was fantastic, have already recommended to family visiting Jamaica next year ! And they also have excellent reviews
Written 10 November 2019
I wonder if you can suggest a reasonable taxi rate we should expect to pay from the cruise ship to Greenwood Great House please?
Written 4 May 2019
It varies by driver. Would recommend reaching out to JUTA and organizing in advance.
Written 4 May 2019
What is the best way to get there from the cruise port in Falmouth?
Written 28 October 2018
A taxi from the port in the easiest way. You can arrange in advance. Several listed on trip advisor or find one when you are there. Ensure they are registered taxi drivers and negotiate the round trip rate in advance of departure. Hope that helps!
Written 29 October 2018
What is the taxi fare from the cruise port in montego Bay to greenwood house? Are taxis back available at the house or would I have to get the taxi to wait,? The ship is offering the trip for fourfourty pounds but unless there is a big difference in price and ease of travel I would prefer to be independent.
Written 28 October 2016
Thanks for your interest in touring the house. Taxi fares vary -- would recommend getting in touch with JUTA for contact information for a taxi driver. There are no taxis on site so if you hire a driver, they would have to wait.
Written 29 October 2016
We are located on the border of St. James and Trelawny about fifteen miles from Montego Bay and seven miles from Falmouth.
Coming from Montego Bay, turn right into Greenwood and look for signs for Greenwood Great House. We are one mile from the main road. As with most secondary roads in Jamaica, expect a few bumps -- but we promise the drive will be well worth it.
Written 19 July 2015
Taxi is the best way - the house is quite far from the A1 main highway and so I suggest that the taxi wait for you. Tour is about 45min but leave about 1 hour. Last week when I was there the cost was USD$20. The credit card machine was not working so best to bring cash
Written 17 January 2018
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