Champ de Mars (Haiti)

Champ de Mars (Haitian Creole: Channmas) is the biggest public park in the downtown area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It consists of a series of public squares divided by large boulevards.^[1]

Statue of Jean-Jacques Dessalines in one of the squares

History

For much of Port-au-Prince’s history Champ de Mars was used for military parades, until 1912 where it was remodelled into a racetrack with wrought-iron viewing stands facing the National Palace. Its current design is from 1999, when it was rebuilt to celebrate the city’s 250th anniversary.^[2]

Champ de Mars was heavily affected by the 2010 earthquake and the National Palace destroyed.^[2] The area was fenced off for a period after.

Description

Champs de Mars contains a number of statues of Haiti's founding fathers, including Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Alexander Pétion and Henri Christophe.^[3]

The Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien featuring Haitian history, art and culture is located at Champ de Mars.

A government project providing free public WIFI in the area was inaugurated In October 2018.^[4]