- The town, which was founded in 1628 and was originally called Indian Bridge, provoked considerable criticism from early visitors because of its location by a noxious swamp and its unplanned development.
- The name St. Michael’s Town came into favor about 1660 and remained in use into the 19th century. Much of the town was destroyed repeatedly by fires, and in 1854 a cholera epidemic killed some 20,000 people.
- Independence Arch frames the view from Bay Street to National Heroes Square, formerly Trafalgar Square, where a statue of English Adm.Horatio Nelson has stood since 1813. On one side of the square are the 19th-century Public Buildings (with a prominent clock tower), which houses the Parliament.
- Large modern ministerial buildings, including the prime minister’s office, are located opposite the Esplanade along the shore of Carlisle Bay. South of town is the Garrison Savannah, once the parade ground for British troops stationed in Bridgetown and now used for horse races and other sporting events. The Barbados Defence Force occupies the Drill Hall, the barracks, and surrounding buildings; the Barbados Museum has been housed since 1933 in the former military prison. Queen Elizabeth Hospital is located southeast of the Careenage. Other notable sites are the police headquarters, the Law Courts, and the main branch of the National Library Service, which are neighbors along Coleridge Street. Nearby is one of the oldest synagogues in the Americas (built-in 1654, destroyed by a hurricane in 1831, and rebuilt in 1833).