Central America
Costa Rica
Province of San Jose
San Jose Metro
San Jose
Things to do in San Jose
Museo Nacional De Costa Rica

Museo Nacional De Costa Rica, San Jose: Hours, Address, Museo Nacional De Costa Rica Reviews: 4.5/5

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Museo Nacional De Costa Rica

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Museo Nacional De Costa Rica
4.5
1,457
#6 of 92 things to do in San Jose
History Museums
8:30 AM - 4:30 AM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 AM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 AM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:30 AM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:30 AM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:30 AM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:30 AM
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About
This 19th-century building contains a well-organized exhibits on Costa Rica's history and culture.
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Popular mentions
4.5
1,457 reviews
Excellent
643
Very good
591
Average
177
Poor
38
Terrible
8
Juan C
Las Vegas, NV370 contributions
Meeting with history
Dec. 2021
A very impressive place, especially when it comes to learning about the history of Costa Rica. Surprising to open the doors and find a place full of beautiful butterflies that flutter around.
Written January 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Keith L
9 contributions
Fantastic Museum
Nov. 2021 • Couples
A beautiful building, full of history and crammed to the gills with Costa Rican history. From the initial entrance through the butterfly house, to the pre-history and struggle for independence - all clearly and sympathetically displayed and labelled. A superb example to broaden your knowledge of this amazing country - highly recommended.
Written December 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
David A
Bentonville, AR131 contributions
This needs to be your first museum to see in in Costa Rica!!
Nov. 2021 • Couples
Very nice! We walked several blocks from the Central Market on a pedestrian street. Foreigners pay $11 per person. The permanent exhibits are excellent. All in Spanish AND English. Be sure to walk through the casas (houses) of the commanders. The temporary exhibit of nocturnal animals was a bit weak but the location in the former barracks jail cells was interesting. (Clean bathrooms, too!!). This museum tells a complete history of the area and Costa Rica. Well done!!
Written November 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Roger M
San Jose, Costa Rica5 contributions
Costa Rica culture
Aug. 2021
Every time I travel to Costa Rica, I make sure to stop at this museum, best way to know the evolution, culture and the reason why the Ticos are the way they are. Peaceful country.
Written August 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
130yang
Singapore4 contributions
Nice place for a afternoon
Aug. 2021 • Solo
I was amazed by the butterfly 🦋 garden. There are so many of them and they are so beautiful! 2021 is the 100th anniversary of the independence of Costa Rica, the special exhibition is nice as well. The jail cell scared me a little bit because of the darkness. Overall, a nice place to visit!
Written August 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Iqbal P
Montreal, Canada3 contributions
A must see
Dec. 2020
History of Costa Rica from the colonization to a free country. Costa Rica saw bloody uprisings and natives decimation. One can see the whole story here.
Written February 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Dr Palden Lhamo
California29 contributions
Historical and well maintained site
Jan. 2021
The show was incredible. The artist is Costa Rican, and uses vivid colors and great imagination. The journey into the various rooms feels laberilhn like, with unexpected rooms. Enjoyable to visit.
Written January 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Paul S
New York City, NY31 contributions
Butterflies and history
Jan. 2021 • Couples
The National Museum, situated in a former military fortress, starts with an incredible butterfly garden, offering great opportunities for photos of the beautiful species Costa Rica offers.

The museum's permanent exhibit offers an honest and comprehensive timeline of the country's history, from Pre-Columbian through modern day Costa Rica, with English labels for every piece.

Unfortunately the Pre-Columbian portion was closed during our visit, but the rest of the exhibit really built on the colonial history of the Americas I learned in school, and helped me understand how Costa Rica became the nation it is today. A trip to the museum is absolutely worth it just for this exhibit if you have any interest in Costa Rica's history and culture.

The special exhibits on nocturnal animals and birds' nesting habits were interesting, but a bit lacking in substance and attention to detail in some respects (e.g. the english translation for one animal was actually for another creature - the spanish label seemed to be correct, however).
Written January 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Paris1221
Virginia Beach, VA272 contributions
Rainy day activity
Dec. 2020 • Family
Our favorite part was the butterfly garden. Most amazing blue butterflies we have ever seen!!! The rest of the museum was ok. Many exhibitions being repaired and not much to see.
Written December 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Myo M
Coquitlam, Canada19,934 contributions
The nation's "comprehensive timeline"
Jan. 2020
Organized into about 4 big rooms (or 4 "general sections" of the museum's interior) is the "comprehensive timeline" of Costa Rica from the pre-Columbian period to the colonial period to the early-republic period to the modern period (each period in each of the 4 rooms to visualize through such displays as pottery artifacts, info signs, historic photos & some 3-D models), and yes it's just well laid out to easily follow that timeline by a "counter-clockwise walk starting to the right" directly after the ticket entrance (which is not at the front but at the back of the Museum where once inside the entrance is a "rectangular-shaped" area of the museum grounds with rooms right around). And apart from the above-ground, there's also the underground part of the Museum with rooms kept pretty much as they were when this museum building was the "military fortress" called Bellavista (and with nice info signs down there to get some sufficient knowledge about that old fortress, and yes also with some "pretty small" jail cells kind of fascinating to see!). And yes, also somewhat of an interesting sight at this museum is not indoors but outdoors on the museum grounds which is that of a "rock ball" (one with really "quite a significant" size & which as seen in some of the historic photos displayed right in this museum has existed since the time of the fortress). Overall, although not as much in physical stature as the great national history museums visited prior to this (namely those in Santiago, Rio de Janeiro & Bogota with considerably more displays due to their sizes), I left this museum "pretty much" as impressed as those due to its thorough & organized coverage of the national history in the 4 big rooms (as mentioned above).

Not itself in a "vibrant area" of the city, but there's one such area at just about a 10-minute walk from this museum (in the "opposite direction" from that to its front face) where there are sites such as Teatro Nacional (with a theater guide on a worthwhile tour to see its "elaborate interior") & Catedral Metropolitana (for a nice walk around inside although just one "fairly plain"); and also in that area are 2 "pedestrian streets" (maybe more) each lined with various establishments including Mercado Central (just a "superb place" for souvenir shopping & meals at mini-restaurants inside that big indoor market).
Written September 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Museo Nacional De Costa Rica
Museo Nacional De Costa Rica is open:
  • Sun - Sun 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 a.m.
  • Tue - Sat 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 a.m.
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Museo Nacional De Costa Rica tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 5 Museo Nacional De Costa Rica tours on Tripadvisor
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