Things To Do

Costa Rican National Museum

By Patrick Brunelle ⋅ July 18, 2010 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Maybe you’re wondering why Costa Rica has so many museums, since we have already covered the Gold museum, Jade museum, museo de arte, and the Children’s museum. The reason for so many museums, is that the Costa Rican population is highly educated, and has created a large interest in everything that is educational. In recent years, Costa Rica has been investing in renovations, hoping to draw more interest from the people traveling to Costa Rica, however, the majority of visitors are still locals.

Construction of the Army General Barracks took place between 1916 and 1930. In 1949, after the abolition of the army, the building was converted into the National Museum. Its fundamental purpose is to promote the study, conservation and display of the country’s flora and fauna. Currently, the museum’s main themes are archeology, national history and natural history. Located on Calle 17 between Avenidas Central and Segunda, the museum is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I would not rank the National Museum as one of the top museums in Costa Rica. I would prefer to spend time at Inbio Park in Heredia, which focuses on the nature and seven bioms located in Costa Rica, or the Gold Museum located in downtown San Jose. The Costa Rican National Museum still has a lot to offer visitors and would surely satisfy the hungry minds that stop in for a visit.