A prime example of 18th-century colonial architecture, circa-1788 Balcony House has the distinction of being Nassau’s oldest wooden residential structure. Its restored rooms hold period furnishings and other museum artifacts. Shipwrights influenced the style of the wooden home; its mahogany staircase came off a salvaged ship.

Nassau’s history runs deep to post-American Revolutionary War Loyalists, pirates, forts, and Civil War Confederate sympathizers. Its forts remain intact, the best of them for touring being Fort Charlotte and Fort Fincastle. It’s also known for its historic churches; St. Francis Xavier Cathedral is my favorite. Other historic must-sees include Graycliff Hotel, the Queen’s Staircase, and the Nassau Library.