The public is being encouraged to take a history lesson at the newly renovated Martello Tower in St. George's, which officially re-opened yesterday.

After a "tremendous" 18-month transformation the once empty building has been turned into a colourful, people-friendly museum, explained Director of Parks Lisa-Dawn Johnston.

"We want it to enhance their experience because I think if we provide more opportunities for the public to understand what they are seeing, they will have a greater appreciation for it," she said.

"Before we did the restoration we had problems with vandalism — people spraying graffiti all over the walls, using it as a bathroom and also living downstairs. We were not happy with those behaviours at all."

"We decided to upgrade the fort and use it to showcase what the World Heritage Forts were about and some of the history."

The Martello Tower, built from 1823-1828, is the Island's only egg-shaped fort and with walls as thick as nine to 11-feet, the fort remained largely resistant to cannon fire.

According to Park Planner Drew Pettit the building itself was in a pretty good state but when it came to the visual appearance it was "awful".

The Ministry of the Environment, with the help of Department of Parks and Works and Engineering, installed new windows and lighting, fixed cracks and leaks and power-washed the building until decades of fire damage, graffiti and grime were gone.

"We just brought it back to life with all the things that had rotted away," explained Mr. Pettit.

The biggest part of the restoration project was bringing in the "18-pounder" cannon from Fort St. Catherine and creating a cannon mound on top of the building so it would look as it did in the 19th Century.

The fort will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday in the summer and in the winter, by appointment only, by calling i the Parks Department.

Yesterday, Government also unveiled new signs throughout the historic Bermuda Railway Trail.

According to a survey undertaken in 2003, in partnership with the End to End charity, walkers identified that better signs were needed along the Bermuda Railway.

In response, the Ministry of the Environment and Sports has set up signs describing important historical and environmental information, at each end of the nine main sections of the Trail.

The Bermuda Railway Trail once ran the entire length of the Island and provided people with a vital transportation link before cars were permitted on Bermuda's roads.