Fodor's Expert Review Musée Camélia Costumes et Traditions

This museum is a labor of love by its creators. Seeing the dress of black, white, and métisseé (mixed-race, or "maroon") societies is a fascinating way to visualize the island's tumultuous history and fascinating heritage. Items that you will remember: madras headdresses, baptism outfits, embroidered maternity dresses, colonial pith helmets, and other various chapeaux, as well as the doll collection. Make sure to go out back and visit the replica of a Guadeloupean case circa 1920. A film depicts life of yesteryear. The small museum is privately owned; the founder, Camelia Bausivoir, is a retired English teacher and can act as your guide. The collection was accrued over decades, and Bausivoir sewed many of the costumes. Call for directions before you go and also to make sure that a school group is not there.