National Museum

The idea to preserve and display the relics and historical reports of a culture, are some of the tasks of museums in the world.

Perhaps the activity of more screening is the social role of education and training of the museum, hence the global relevance of such an institution. That more than a showcase exhibition to be part of the process of teaching civic education.

Costa Rica has a large collection of relics as evidence of the cultural richness of our people and that in turn are the basis for the development process of our country, both in archaeological research and in artistic creation and technological as well as the preservation and restoration of our Natural Heritage.

The National Museum was founded in 1887, took a national monument like the Bellavista Barracks. In the collection is a great arqueolochic and countless legacies of our forefathers.

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday:  8.30 a.m. - 16.30 p.m., Sunday : 9 a.m. - 16.30 p.m.
Location: Street 17, Central and Second Avenue.
Telephone: (506) 257-14339 / Fax:(506) 233-7427
Areas: Rescue and protection of archaeological, historical and natural patrimony
Web Site : www.museocostarica.go.cr
Collections:
-Archaeological: The Museum has a collection of 45,000 objects from pre-Columbian stone, pottery, gold, jade and others.

-Art: Paintings and sculptures Sacro Art

-Historical documents, stamps, textiles, weapons, Numismatics, antique furniture

-Natural: The National Herbarium consists on 190,000 copies
-Insects, 60,000 copies

-Birds of Costa Rica, 10,000

-Mastozoology

-Rocks, fossils, mollusks and vertebrate

Costa Rican Art Museum

The Costa Rican Art Museum contains a collection of selected paintings and sculptures by artists from the period of 1950. It also has the "Golden Hall". It occupies the former building of the airport of La Sabana, cutting colonial architectural work.

Hours: From Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location: Parque La Sabana

Phone: (506) 222-7155 / 222-79-32 / 222-77-34

Fax : 22227247

Website: www.musarco.go.cr

The Museum of Children Occupying the building of the former penitentiary "The prison" as it is often called, contains the new concept of "Interactive Museum" devoted mainly to the interest of children. Pick up a collection of modern technological and educational aspects of science and research. It is a place where children and adults can learn to play. It is the first of its kind in Central America and has 32 interactive exhibits. Develop a permanent educational-cultural, recreational, artistic and scientific works.

Hours: Tuesday to Friday from 8 a.m. 4:30 p.m and weekends 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: Calle 4, Avenida 9.

Phone: 2258-4929

Website : www.museocr.com

Museo del Oro.

 Located below Plaza de la Cultura. It contains one of the finest collections of artifacts made of indigenous gold. More than 2,000 gold objects are on display in this space. The artistic and archaeological treasure trove shows the great wealth formal and symbolic that the indigenous Costa Ricans created.


Hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Location : Under the Plaza of Culture, San Jose

Phone : 2 243-4202 / Fax: 2243-4220

E-Mail: museoro@racsa.co.cr

Website: www.museosdelbancocentral.org

Numismatic Museum.

 It is located next to the Museo del Oro and contains a collection of antique coins and banknotes from around the world.

Hours : Monday to Friday from 8am to 4:45 pm

Location: 2 floor in the central post office building

Phone : 2223-6918
E- Mail: smaroto@correos.go.gr

Museo de Jade.

 Located at the National Insurance Institute (INS). Contains a large collection of archaeological pieces made of ceramic and stone by the Indians.

Hours: Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm
Saturdays from 09:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Location: Ground floor of the headquarters of the National Insurance Institute (Avenue 7, Street 9 and 11).

Phone: (506) 287-6034 or 223-5800 Ext. 2584. Fax: (506) 255-3456

Website: http://portal.ins-cr.com/Social/MuseoJade/

Museum Juan Santamaria.

This museum preserves and displays a collection of artifacts, documents and artworks related to the heroic gesture of our national hero, Juan Santamaria (1856). It is located in the city of Alajuela.

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm

Location: 100mts north of Central Park

Phone : 2441-4775

Museum of Natural Sciences.

Located in the old La Salle College. It maintains a collection of dissected animals in scenarios recreated with natural environments, as well as arqueological pieces and mineralogy.

Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8 am and 4 pm Sundays or holidays from 9 am to 5 pm


Location: former La Salle College
Phone: 2232-1306

Museo de Insectos.

It is located in the basement of the School of Musical Arts from the University of Costa Rica. Has especially interesting collection of approximately one million insects in Costa Rica and the rest of the world.
Hours: Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Location: In the basement of Building Music at the University Campus Rodrigo Facio in San Pedro de Montes de Oca, San Jose

E-Mail: hlezama@cariari.ucr.ac.cr

Web site: http://www.miucr.ucr.ac.cr

Museo de Criminología.

It is located in the building of the Supreme Court in San Jose. It was founded in 1981 and shows how to prevent crime through display of criminal cases from the past.

Hours:
Location: Second Floor, Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), Avenue 6-8, Street 17.
Phone: (506) 22211340

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo.

Educational Services related to contemporary art and design. Video library with more than 150 videos on contemporary art and design. Guided tours through didactic exhibition, workshops, seminars and lectures are offered throughout the year.

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday .De 10 a.m. to 5 pm. Sunday: Closed
Monday: Closed Chambers. Open Offices and Videos

Location: Street 15-17, Avenue 3 building of the MADC

Phone: (506) 257-7202, 257-9370 / Fax (506) 257-8702

E-Mail: info@madc.ac.cr

Web site: www.madc.ac.cr or www.conexarte.com

Museos del Banco Central de Costa Rica.

The Museums of the Central Bank seeking to foster closer,relations and reflection of Costa Ricans on their cultural identity, through collections, research, publications and educational programs in the fields of archeology, the Visual Arts and the History of Money in Costa Rica .

Hours: Daily, Monday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m
Location: Calle 3 and 5 Central and Second Avenue, Low Plaza of Culture San Jose, Costa Rica

Phone: 2243-4202

Fax: 2243-4220

E-Mail: museoro@racsa.co.cr

Web site: www.museosdelbancocentral.org

Museo Regional de Arte Costarricense.

The Museum of Art was established on October 7, 1977, by Law # 6091, remaining under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. It was inaugurated on May 3, 1978 in the refurbished building of the former international airport of La Sabana.

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Closed Monday.

Location: Parque Metropolitano La Sabana Av. 0, C. 42

Phone: 2222-7155

E-Mail

Web site: www.musarco.go.cr

Museo de Formas, Espacios y Sonidos

Hours: Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm
Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm

Location: Old Railway Station to the Atlantic, Paseo de las Damas

Phone: (506) 2222-9462

E-mail:

Web site: www.mcjdcr.go.cr

Museo de Ciencias Naturales La Salle

Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8am to 4pm and Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm

Location: Across from the corner serum from the savanna

Phone: (506) 2232-1306

Museo Histórico Dr. Rafael Calderón Guardia.

The Historical Museum Dr. Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia owes its name to the former president of the Republic (period 1940-1944),Fatherland and great social reformer of Costa Rica.

Hours: Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 4pm

Location: Avenida 11, between 25 and 27 streets, 100 meters east and 100 north of the Santa Teresita Church in Barrio Escalante

Phone: (506) 22551218

E-Mail: musecal@racsa.co.cr