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Coke Church is the most prominent building on East Parade. It stands on the site of the first Methodist chapel in Jamaica. The present structure was rebuilt after the 1907 earthquake, replacing the original built in 1840 and named after Thomas Coke, who founded the Methodist missions in the British Caribbean.
The Ward Theatre (visitors welcome 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri. or for scheduled events) facing the park on North Parade was also a regular venue for Garvey speeches.
The Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) was founded in 1879 by Governor General Anthony Musgrave to encourage "Literature, Science and Art," as the letters on the main building's facade read. The institute has several divisions: Natural History, National Gallery, National Library, Museum of History and Ethnography, African-Caribbean Institute, and Liberty Hall.
The National Gallery (10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Tues.–Thurs., 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Sat., closed Sun.
The Natural History Division is the oldest division of the IOJ and is housed adjacent to the Institute's main building on the ground floor. The Museum of History and Ethnography (10 East St., 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
The Jamaica Military Museum (US$1 adults, US$0.50 children, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Jamaica has a vibrant tradition in theater, pantomime, and spoken word performances, with annual shows and competitions sponsored by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (www.jcdc.org.jm). Events are held throughout the year but come to a head during the weeks around Emancipation and Independence in early August.
Liberty Hall (museum hours 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. Mon.–Fri., US$1 adults, US$0.50 children) is the latest addition to the Institute Of Jamaica. The rehabilitated building was Marcus Garvey's base of operations in the 1920s and today has a small reference library with a wealth of knowledge related to the man and his teachings.
The African-Caribbean Institute of Jamaica (ACIJ, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Fri.) has been run under the direction of Bernard Jankee since 1995.
National Heroes Park, which encompasses Heroes Memorial, occupies 30 hectares below Cross Roads on Marescaux Road within the large roundabout known as Heroes Circle. The roundabout surrounds what was once the city's main sporting ground, later becoming the Kingston Race Course.
