The oldest building on the island, Fort Zoutman, has experienced violent times since it was erected in 1798. It has served as a government office, a police station, a tax office, a courtroom, a library, a post office and even a gaol over the years, but today it houses the photogenic Historical Museum, which, since its opening in 1984, has become a proud symbol of Aruba’s national heritage. The small museum displays a fascinating collection of articles from the island's pre-European and colonial eras to the beginning of the 20th century when the oil industry came to Aruba and changed the island's history yet again. Life-size farming and industrial exhibits can be seen inside, but the inner courtyard is transformed every Tuesday night by the charming Bonbini Festival. Compare the historic artefacts of island life inside with the colourful lifestyle Arubans now enjoy outside.