Museo de los Ninos
Museo de los Ninos
4.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
438 reviews
Excellent
220
Very good
156
Average
48
Poor
12
Terrible
2
Loyd M
Palos Verdes Peninsula2 contributions
Mar. 2022
Currently, the children's museum is housing an extreme radical feminist "art" exhibit in the section of the building called "Palacio Nacional".
This exhibit features handkerchiefs hung from the ceiling, deranged demonic artwork, a molded vagina on a pole, and a pornographic video. The pornographic video shows a butch lesbian masturbating and squirting over a metal ball and chain.
I was not expecting to accidentally expose my children to this type of degrading filth since this was a children's museum. Shame on the Costa Rican Government for allowing this type of wickedness in the Children's Museum. And shame on the Spanish Embassy for bringing this exhibit to Costa Rica.
This exhibit features handkerchiefs hung from the ceiling, deranged demonic artwork, a molded vagina on a pole, and a pornographic video. The pornographic video shows a butch lesbian masturbating and squirting over a metal ball and chain.
I was not expecting to accidentally expose my children to this type of degrading filth since this was a children's museum. Shame on the Costa Rican Government for allowing this type of wickedness in the Children's Museum. And shame on the Spanish Embassy for bringing this exhibit to Costa Rica.
Written March 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MnMsc
Paris, France329 contributions
Feb. 2021
We visited the museum this month and I would strongly advise AGAINST visiting it with the actual covid restrictions. It has plenty of interesting opportunities for childrens to play, but at the moment:
- you are placed in groups with other families and literally rushed from one room to another. It was a big disappointment for us as we were with older childrens, so a lot of time were spent in rooms which had not so much interest for our little one, and when we got to the rooms we were looking for, the transport area, the playground (was closed), the supermarket, the dinosaurs, we had like 2/3 minutes to spend in them !! Really frustrating for everyone.
On the top of that, they made us pay full price for our little one, because my husband (who were the only one of us allowed to go to the cashier) didn't speak spanish. He said we had a 1yo, but the guy at the entrance kept saying in spanish
"3 adults".
Best to be avoided.
- you are placed in groups with other families and literally rushed from one room to another. It was a big disappointment for us as we were with older childrens, so a lot of time were spent in rooms which had not so much interest for our little one, and when we got to the rooms we were looking for, the transport area, the playground (was closed), the supermarket, the dinosaurs, we had like 2/3 minutes to spend in them !! Really frustrating for everyone.
On the top of that, they made us pay full price for our little one, because my husband (who were the only one of us allowed to go to the cashier) didn't speak spanish. He said we had a 1yo, but the guy at the entrance kept saying in spanish
"3 adults".
Best to be avoided.
Written February 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dan Gillotte
107 contributions
Oct. 2019
Trip Advisor doesn't seem to have a listing for the Museo Penitencerio that shares space with the Kids museum but it's ultimately separate.
A small but informative museum reckoning with the terrible history of this prison. The museum recreates the conditions using original cells. It includes actual graffiti from the prisoners as well as statues of inmates with authentic artifacts of the the period.
The museum does a good job at taking responsibility for the atrocious conditions they allowed at this site.
A small but informative museum reckoning with the terrible history of this prison. The museum recreates the conditions using original cells. It includes actual graffiti from the prisoners as well as statues of inmates with authentic artifacts of the the period.
The museum does a good job at taking responsibility for the atrocious conditions they allowed at this site.
Written October 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Klaus Battenberg
3 contributions
Jul. 2019 • Couples
The story of this museum is very interessant , they told us it was a jell in the past and now it is kids museum . It is located just in front of the hotel where we stayed Best Hostel San Jose, so we walked there by curiosity to see it, then we decided to enter and visit . It was really nice.
Written August 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MiddleAgedCrisis
Cambridge, UK21 contributions
Apr. 2019 • Family
Ok museum which kept my two girls amused for a couple of hours. Locals get in free, but foreigners are charged which is to be expected.
Good selection of exhibits (space, dinosaurs etc) with mixed English and Spanish descriptions.
Good selection of exhibits (space, dinosaurs etc) with mixed English and Spanish descriptions.
Written April 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Philip D
Northumberland, UK14 contributions
Feb. 2019 • Family
My wife and I took our 3 year old grandson to the Museo de los Niños. The museum is a short taxi ride from the center of San Jose. At weekends it does tend to get busy so try and arrive as early as possible. It is a museum for kids so all the displays and attractions are interactive.
Our grandson is dinosaur mad and the first stop just happens to be the dinosaur display where a giant Triceratops faces off against a T-rex. The children can dress in dinosaur costumes, excavate fossils and learn about these creatures from displays around the exhibit. He loved it.
Each section of the museum covers different aspects of life. There is a safe city where the children can learn about the various rescue services and dress as police officers or firemen. They can shop in a kid’s supermarket.
There are sections covering the Earth and the Solar System, space travel, as well as personal health and hygiene. There are two aircraft cockpits, a fire engine and a London double-decker bus to explore. A large section covers the history of Costa Rica from early indigenous people through to modern times.
You can enter a small farm display and we had great difficulty trying to get the little guy away from milking the metal cow.
There is a house of distorted perception which leaves you feeling very peculiar and a hall of mirrors which allow you to take some strange photographs.
We spent a full morning in the museum and by lunch time it was full of people, so it is obviously a popular attraction for the locals. From the outside the museum looks like a fortress and that is exactly what it was, the penitentiary. There are many interesting photographs on the walls of the corridors showing how it looked before and how the same spot looks now.
If you are staying in San Jose with small children I would certainly recommend the Museo de los Niños as a worthwhile and educational way to pass the morning.
Our grandson is dinosaur mad and the first stop just happens to be the dinosaur display where a giant Triceratops faces off against a T-rex. The children can dress in dinosaur costumes, excavate fossils and learn about these creatures from displays around the exhibit. He loved it.
Each section of the museum covers different aspects of life. There is a safe city where the children can learn about the various rescue services and dress as police officers or firemen. They can shop in a kid’s supermarket.
There are sections covering the Earth and the Solar System, space travel, as well as personal health and hygiene. There are two aircraft cockpits, a fire engine and a London double-decker bus to explore. A large section covers the history of Costa Rica from early indigenous people through to modern times.
You can enter a small farm display and we had great difficulty trying to get the little guy away from milking the metal cow.
There is a house of distorted perception which leaves you feeling very peculiar and a hall of mirrors which allow you to take some strange photographs.
We spent a full morning in the museum and by lunch time it was full of people, so it is obviously a popular attraction for the locals. From the outside the museum looks like a fortress and that is exactly what it was, the penitentiary. There are many interesting photographs on the walls of the corridors showing how it looked before and how the same spot looks now.
If you are staying in San Jose with small children I would certainly recommend the Museo de los Niños as a worthwhile and educational way to pass the morning.
Written February 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Carlos U
San Jose, Costa Rica23 contributions
Oct. 2018 • Family
This is a great children's interactive museum, but it is not a real tourism attraction. It is made and oriented for local kids to discover and enjoy.
Written October 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
jcabezas2016
San Jose, Costa Rica15 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
As it's name indicates it is great for children (School ages). Quite a few interactive exhibits where kids can learn as they play. The museum employees are young high school and college students, courteous and great kid entetainers.
Written August 27, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
daviddD135XM
12 contributions
Aug. 2018 • Family
Highly recommended activity for a family day in San Jose. We spent most of the day here. Lots of activities and hands-on science and nature exhibits for the kids. Climb into a plane, train, helicopter, see some colonial history. Worth the small extra cost to visit the dinosaur exhibit - lots of animatronics. Very interesting back story and exhibits down a prison hallway.
Written August 24, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
INJRtraveling
Israel34 contributions
Aug. 2018 • Family
We were not very impressed with the museum. Many things were not translated to English which didn’t help, and some exhibits were not very well maintained.
The dinosaurs exhibit doesn’t include real things but rather recreations and our kids got bored of it very quickly.
Yet, they did like playing with the airplanes, in the ‘bank’ and other places. Ok if you need to pass time in the city and give the kids a place to play
The dinosaurs exhibit doesn’t include real things but rather recreations and our kids got bored of it very quickly.
Yet, they did like playing with the airplanes, in the ‘bank’ and other places. Ok if you need to pass time in the city and give the kids a place to play
Written August 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Carlos C
San Jose, Costa Rica
Hola, buenas tardes, por favor me pueden decir si tienen puestos de comida dentro del museo, gracias.
karolyn Andrea V
Heredia, Costa Rica
¿Los niños menores de 3 años les cobran la entrada? Mí bebe tiene 10 meses
lufeca99@gmail.com
San Jose, Costa Rica185 contributions
Los niños menores de 1 año no pagan entrada en el Museo de los Niños
Me gustaría saber si en esta semana de vacaciones ,el precio de la entrada es igual para la exhibición de los dinosaurios
gazofeifah
San Jose, Costa Rica87 contributions
En realidad no sé si el precio es el mismo pero puede chequearlo en línea ya que ellos tienen boletería en la web.
Parqueo por los automoviles?
gazofeifah
San Jose, Costa Rica87 contributions
Sí, hay parqueo para automóviles y personal del Museo vigilando el estacionamiento.
Cuando uno se estaciona uno de los guías del museo te da un pequeño recibo que se cancela y se sella dentro del museo y se presenta al salir a quien esté vigilando en ese momento.
Es muy económico lo que se paga por el estacionamiento.
Cual es el movimiento artístico donde se encuentra esta obra?
Diana C
San Carlos, Costa Rica40 contributions
Claro! La estructura fue diseñada por Octavio Beeche, quien estudió diversos sistemas carcelarios en Europa, y el ingeniero Nicolás Chavarría.
El edificio ha necesitado varias remodelaciones, el año que terminó de construirse hubo un terremoto que lo dejó en deplorables condiciones. En 1917 hubo una explosión dentro del edificio y tuvo que reconstruirse. Luego se llenó de personas lo que también lo deterioró mucho. En 1979 lo cerraron y pasó abandonado muchos años, hasta 1993 cuando se inauguró lo que conocemos hoy.
Nancy S
Rockwall, TX1 contribution
How close is it to the Great Barrier Reef?
lunna
Costa Rica21 contributions
Hi, Nancy! San Jose, the capital city is about one hour from the coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean and four hour distance to the reef in the Atlantic coast. In both senses there are excellent roads.
MUSEO DE LOS NINOS (San Jose) - 2023 What to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Museo de los Ninos
- Hotels near Museo de los Ninos:
- (0.25 km) Hotel la Posada del Sol San José Costa Rica
- (0.26 km) D&C Hostel
- (0.38 km) Radisson San Jose-Costa Rica
- (0.65 km) Santo Tomas Hotel & Wellness Center
- (0.60 km) Hotel Dunn Inn
- Restaurants near Museo de los Ninos:
- (0.56 km) Cafe Rojo
- (0.52 km) Restaurante Silvestre
- (0.44 km) Isolina
- (0.33 km) Hotel Dunn Inn Restaurant
- (0.98 km) Tenedor Argentino