Abangares Mines Ecomuseum: Gold-extraction machines, tunnels, trails, wagons, photos. Phone: 2662-1413, La Sierra, Abangares, Guanacaste, 7 a.m.-4 p.m., closed Mondays, 1,500 colones.
Central Bank Museums: Made of Gold Museum, Coin Museum and temporary art exhibit spaces, more than 1,000 pre-Columbian gold artifacts, indigenous objects. Phone: 2243-4202, www.museodelbancocentral.org, below Plaza de la Cultura, Ca. 5, Av. Ctrl./2, San Jose, 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Mon-Sun. Residents 1,000 colones, tourists $7, kids under 11 free.
Children's Museum: Children's rights, universe, earth, living creatures, interactive exhibits, National Gallery, National Auditorium, youth complex, guided tours. Phone: 2258-4929, www.museocr.com, end Ca. 4, Av. 9, San Jose, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tues-Fri; 9:30-5 p.m. weekends. Adults 1,100 colones, kids under 18 pay 800 colones.
Contemporary Art and Design Museum: Contemporary Central American art, five exhibit halls. Phone: 2257-9370, www.madc.ac.cr, CENAC, Av. 3/5, Ca. 15/17 San Jose. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Mon-Sat. Tourists $2, Residents 500 colones, Students with ID 300 colones, Children & Seniors Free on Monday.
Costa Rican Art Museum: Temporary and permanent art exhibits. Phone: 2222-7155, www.musarco.go.cr, east side of La Sabana Park, San Jose, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Tues-Fri; 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat-Sun. Tourists $5, Students with ID $3, Residents 500 colones, Seniors and Children free on Sundays.
Costa Rican Volcanology Museum: History of Irazu Volcano, information on the Earth and Costa Rican volcanoes, legends, trails, farm, garden, restaurant. Phone: 2530-8023, 8301-3996, www.nochebuena.org, 5km before entrance to Irazu Volcano, Cartago, Adults 2,000 colones, Children 1,000 colones.
Dr. Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia Museum: In former Calderon family historic mansion, exhibits life of former president Rafael Angel Calderon (1940-1944), 1948 civil war documentation, student library, art exhibits, films, theater, dance shows in auditorium, Phone: 255-1218, musecal@rasca.co.cr, CA 25/27, Av. 11, Barrio Escalante, San Jose, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon-Sat, free.
Grupo ICE Historical Technology Museum: Exhibits, documents, photos, about history of electricity and telecommunications in Costa Rica, Phone: 2220-6497, www.grupoice.com, 400 m north of ICE, Sabana Norte, San Jose, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Mon-Fri, free.
Historical Farming Museum of Santa Ana: 19th-century farming machinery in 1757 house, with farm, small plantations, traditional sugar mill, coffee-processing plant, Phone: 2282-8434, www.fundazoo.org, 200 m north of Liceo de Santa Ana, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat-Sun, Adults 1,500 colones, Children 3-7 yrs. Old and Seniors with carne de oro, 1,000 colones.
Jade Museum: Pre-Columbian jade, stone and ceramics, Phone 2287-6034, www.ins-cr.com, outside INS building, Av. 7/9, Ca 9/11, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Sat, Tourists $7, Residents 1,000, Children under 12 free.
Jewish Museum of Costa Rica: Photos, documents, films of the Jewish community in Costa Rica and the Holocaust, Phone: 2520-1013, ext. 129, www.geocities.com/museojudiodecostarica, Centro Israelita Sionista de Costa Rica, Rohrmoser, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. by appointment only, free.
Jose Figueres Ferrer Cultural Center: Photos, exhibits on 1948 civil war, cultural activities, art exhibits, Phone: 2447-2178, www.centrojosefigueres.org, San Ramon de Alajuela, north side of church, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Mon-Sat, free.
Juan Santamaria Museum: Highlights battles against U.S. filibuster William Walker in 1856-1857 and life of legendary hero Juan Santamaria, Phone: 2441-4775, mhcjscr@ice.co.cr, Av. 3, Ca Ctrl./2, Alajuela, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Tues-Sun, free.
Liceo de Costa Rica Museum: Photos, art collection, trophy room, alumni objects, books, Phone 2233-6784, Boulevard de Liceo de Costa Rica, Av. 18, San Jose, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Mon-Fri, free.
National Museum: In old Bellavista Fortress, pre-Columbian art, colonial period art and furniture, natural history exhibits, temporary art and photo exhibits, butterfly garden, Phone: 2257-1433, www.museocostarica.go.cr, Ca 17, Av. Ctrl/2, San Jose, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tues-Sat, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. Tourists $4, Students with ID $2, Residents 500 colones, Children under 12 free. |
Omar Salazar Regional Museum: Anthropology, archaeology and Guayabo Monument exhibits, temporary art exhibits, Phone: 2558-3733, museoturrialbaucr@gmail.com, UCR Turrialba campus, 8:30 a.m.-noon, 1-4:30 p.m., Mon-Fri, free.
Our Lady of Ujarras Museum: History of Ujarras, religious and indigenous artifacts, books, photo collection, Phone: 2574-7258, basement of Catholic church, Paraiso de Cartago, 2:30-5:30 p.m., Thur-Sat, 9 a.m.-noon and 2:30-5:30 p.m., Sun, 100 colones.
Peace Museum: Created with proceeds from President Oscar Arias’ 1987 Nobel Peace Prize, documents peace successes, explores prospects for peace, Phone: 2223-4664, www.arias.or.cr, Av. 2, Ca. 13, San Jose, 8 a.m. –noon and 1:30-4:30 p.m., Mon-Fri, free.
Popular Culture Museum: Old wattle-and-daub house built in 1885-1887 by the parents of former president Alfredo Gonzalez, furniture, domestic/work tools of the era, Phone: 2260-1619, mcp@una.ac.cr, Santa Lucia, Barva, Heredia, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Mon-Fri (reservations), 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun, Tourists $2, Residents 500 colones, Children 300 colones.
Punta Islita Open-Air Contemporary Art Museum: Temporary exhibits, Phone 2661-4044, museodir@hotelpuntaislita.com, Islita de Bejuco, Nandayure, Guanacaste, tours at 10 a.m., Tues-Sun.
Railroad Museum: Photos, tools, AEG German locomotive, Phone: 8810-0660, museoferroviario@costaricense.cr, former train station, Rio Grande de Atenas, noon-6 p.m., Sat, 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun, 500 colones.
San Blas de Nicoya Museum: Religious wood icons in an adobe building, Phone: 2685-5109, next to San Blas Park, Nicoya, Guanacaste, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Mon-Sat. free.
San Jose de Orosi Religious Art Museum: Colonial religious art, Phone: 2533-3852, Orosi Church, Orosi, 1-5 p.m., Tues-Fri, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat-Sun, Adults 350 colones, Children 200 colones.
Santa Rosa Battle House: Site of skirmish with U.S. filibuster William Walker, Phone: 2666-5051, Santa Rosa National Park, Guanacaste, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Tourists $10, Tourist children $1, Residents 1,110 colones, Children under 12, 400 colones.
Stamp and Coin Museum of Costa Rica: Stamp collection, history of telegraph, mail, Phone: 2223-6918, www.correos.go.cr, 2nd floor of Central Post Office, Ca 2, Av 1/3, San Jose, 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Mon-Fri, Adults 150 colones, Children 100 colones.
BIOLOGY
Insect Museum: More than 500 insects, Phone: 2207-5318, hlezama@cariari.ucr.ac.cr, basement of University of Costa Rica School of Music, San Pedro, 1-4:45 p.m., Mon-Fri, Tourists 1,000 colones, Residents 500 colones, Children 200 colones.
Instituto Clodomiro Picado, (2229-0344, fax:
2292-0485), across from Dulce Nombre de Coronado soccer field.
Mon-Fri, free. Snake research center where antivenin is made to cure
snakebites. Ample display of live snakes, poisonous and non. Live
demonstrations of venom extraction, Fridays, 23 p.m.
Marine Biology Museum, (2261-0101, fax: 2237-6427), School of
Biology of the Universidad National, Heredia, features marine
creatures and insects, Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-noon, 1-4 p.m., donations
accepted.
Puntarenas City, Historic Marine Museum: At the old Police building, Puntarenas downtown, open trhu tuesday to sunday, 9:45 am.-12 md. and 1 pm. to 5: 15 pm. Monday: Closed.
La Salle Natural Sciences Museum: More than 65,000 specimens of zoology, paleontology, archaeology, mineralogy, dinosaur display, Phone: 2232-1306, moisobeso@yahoo.com, southwest corner of La Sabana Park, San Jose, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Mon-Sat, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun, Adults 700 colones, Children 500 colones.
Serpentario, (2255-4210, tel/fax: 2233-5520), Av. 1, Ca. 9-11,
across from Hotel del Rey, ¢600 nationals and residents, tourists
$4, children ¢350. Permanent exhibit of live snakes, including
Costa Rica's poisonous species, crested lizards, Jesus Christ
lizards, piranas, more.
Spirogyra, (tel/fax: 2222-2937), 50 m. west, 150 m. south of
San Francisco de Guadalupe Church. Daily 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Nationals ¢800,
foreigners $6, children ¢400. Collection of plants favored by
butterflies, hummingbirds, plus winged creatures in all cycles of
life. |