Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Museum Closes Port of Spain Venue Over Funding

Summary

Updated Oct 3, 2026

The Carnival Museum closed its Penny Bank venue in Port of Spain on October 1 because it could not secure sustainable funding.Guardian +3
The museum remains active behind closed doors, while its website and social-media platforms continue and a virtual version is being explored.Guardian +2
Culture Minister Michelle Benjamin directed officials to meet museum leaders about possible support and reopening.Guardian
Whether funding will be secured and when the venue could reopen remain unresolved.Express +1

Automatically summarised from the coverage below.

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Coverage

Oct 3, 2026

Culture Ministry in bid to reopen Carnival Museum

Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival Museum closed its Penny Bank, Port of Spain site on October 1 after struggling to secure sustainable funding, prompting Culture Minister Michelle Benjamin to direct officials to meet with museum leaders about possible support and reopening. The museum, which has hosted seven exhibitions and welcomed more than 4,000 visitors, was created to preserve the country’s Carnival heritage and the work of masmen, bandleaders and artisans.

Oct 2, 2026

Carnival Museum closed due to lack of State funding

The Carnival Museum in Port of Spain has closed to the public because it has not received government or corporate funding to mount new exhibitions, chairman Kenny Attai said. He said the museum is still operating behind closed doors and is exploring a virtual version while seeking support to keep it open.

Oct 2, 2026

Carnival Museum close its doors amid funding struggles

The Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Museum has closed its Penny Bank venue from October 1, after struggling for 18 months to secure government and corporate support, director Kenny Attai said. The museum, which has hosted seven exhibitions and more than 4,000 visitors, will keep its website and social media active as it continues working to preserve Carnival heritage.

Oct 1, 2026

Carnival Museum to close doors amid funding struggles

The Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Museum will close its Penny Bank venue from October 1 because of ongoing difficulty securing government and corporate support. Director Kenny Attai said the museum kept operating through volunteers and personal funding, and that its virtual platforms will remain active as it works to preserve Carnival heritage.