Freeport is on Grand Bahama Island's southern shore. Freeport was founded in 1955, when Wallace Groves was granted a mandate to economically develop 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of pineyard, swamp and scrubland in the area. It was also agreed that businesses in the area would not pay taxes until 1980, later extended to 2054. The original settlement rapidly grew into the city of Freeport, which is now the free trade zone.

The city is home to the Rand Memorial Nature Center, where you can see horticultural displays and walk several nature trails. It was named after its founder James Rand.

The Garden of the Groves includes some 5000 of exotic plants and shrubs from all over the world. In the Gardens is the Grand Bahama Museum, which has displays on Grand Bahama's history from the time of the Lucayans.

Lucayan National Park was founded by Peter Barratt, who used to be one of Freeport's city planners. Beneath the park are caves, one of which is accessible by stairs from within the park.

Another interesting place is Petersons Cay, a small isle close the shore of Grand Bahama.

There are countless hotels, apartments and restaurants in Freeport. There are also excellent beaches.

The city is 210 km north of Nassau. It has ferry and air connections with other islands in the Bahamas, as well as an international ferry connection to Miami. Cruise ships often have a stopover at Freeport.

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