Fort Zoutman went up in 1798, built by the Dutch to defend the harbor against pirates and privateers. Seventy years later, in 1868, the Willem III Tower was added alongside it, first as a clock tower, and then as the island's first public lighthouse, shining out over what was then a much smaller harbor.
Today the complex houses the Historical Museum of Aruba. It is a small museum, which is exactly right for children: a manageable number of rooms covering the island's Caquetio past, the Dutch colonial period, and the oil-boom years, and you can see the whole thing in under an hour without anyone melting down.
The courtyard has long been the home of the Bon Bini Festival, a weekly evening of Aruban folk music, dance, and food, traditionally on Tuesdays. It is the most accessible piece of live local culture on the island, and it starts early enough for kids. Check the current schedule before you plan an evening around it.
It is a short, flat walk from the cruise terminal, and the free trolley passes nearby, which makes this the single most efficient culture stop of a port day.
Built in 1798 to fight off pirates, this is Aruba's oldest building. The tower next to it was once a lighthouse that shone over the harbor.
More finds nearby
Oranjestad TrolleyA free open-top streetcar through downtown. Not on Sundays.
Aruba CarnivalSix weeks of parades. Which one to take your kids to, and what to bring.
PastechiThe fried cheese turnover Aruba eats for breakfast. Buy it before ten.
Turn the list into a treasure hunt
Buska gives kids 75 Aruban treasures to find and photograph (this one included) and turns the trip into a keepsake book. Free to start, no ads, private by default.