Old House of Keys, National museum in Castletown, Isle of Man.
The Old House of Keys is a registered museum building in Castletown, on the Isle of Man, which houses the former debating chamber of the island's parliament. The chamber retains its wooden benches on either side and a central speaking platform, much as it looked during its working years.
The building was constructed in 1821 as a Georgian parliament house and served as the meeting place for the House of Keys until it relocated to Douglas in 1874. That move marked the end of Castletown's role as the political centre of the island.
The name refers to the historic parliament of the island, and the original wooden benches in the debating chamber are still in place today. Sitting in them gives a direct sense of how close and formal those debates once were.
The building offers guided tours through the original rooms, and booking ahead is recommended as tours may have limited capacity. It is worth checking in advance which areas are open, as some parts of the building may be closed at times.
The Isle of Man was the first territory in the world to grant women the vote in 1881, and some of those votes were cast in this very chamber. Sitting in the benches today means sitting in the same room where that decision was made.
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