Plan your visit

Mongui Maduro Experience Package

Stroll through the galleries of the museum in the former plantation house on a self-guided tour. Continue the tour by visiting the contemporary library. Outdoors you can see two other monuments: a bathhouse with two bathtubs and a Kunuku house, a worker's home.

Events & Exhibitions

The library often has events such as informative lectures that highlight the collection. The temporary exhibitions also showcase the pearls in the collection. Like this one about Brionplein, which is also online available with a click on the picture.

Plantation of Willemstad: "LandHuis Rooi Catootje"

Plantation Rooi Catootje

The plantation known as Rust en Vree (Peace and Tranquillity) was established in the early 1700s, encompassing 30 acres. Come the 19th century, it was rechristened as Rooi Catootje or Rooi Catochi, drawing its new name from a ‘rooi’—a natural channel for rainwater drainage situated along its eastern perimeter. The reasons behind the renaming of the estate and the origin of the name Catochi or Catootje (which is reminiscent of a Dutch feminine name), remain shrouded in mystery

Rooi Catootje Estate

The property is home to several heritage structures. Nestled within, is the Mongui Maduro historic house museum, which is housed in the former plantation house. The traditional Curaçaoan Kunuku house, along with a bathhouse, is undergoing restoration and is slated to welcome visitors by the close of 2024.

Garden & Hofi

Garden

The grounds encircling the estate teem with a variety of small wildlife and host an array of vegetation, including the succulent Aloe Vera and fruit-bearing trees such as the Mango. The walkways, designed to be an essential element of the landscape, meander gracefully rather than run straight, tracing the natural undulations of the terrain, weaving between trees, and inviting visitors deeper into the verdant embrace. Wander these paths on foot to bask in the tranquil atmosphere. Ena Dankmeijer's vision was dedicated to the conservation of this natural splendor and to imparting environmental wisdom to future generations.

Hofi of Rooi Catootje

A large green area named hofi, with its own dam system, was used in the past to store water during the rainy seasons. After being 20 years out of order, we have started to restore the 3 dams and to open the hofi back up for visitors. Kasper Lendering: "In 2024, several local organizations, including AWA-Consult, are joining forces in a project called 'Awa pa Kòrsou', which aims to restore historic waterworks in Curaçao. This initiative, supported by subsidies from the Dutch government and the Stichting Monumentfonds Curaçao, focuses on tackling climate-related challenges such as droughts, heat stress and flooding. Through the restoration of waterworks in areas such as Savonet, Zevenbergen and Rooi Catootje, the project aims to reduce the impacts of climate change on the island." Kasper is tasked with the coordination of the restoration of the historic waterworks in the area of Rooi Catootje in Curaçao.