The Museo Nacional de Costa Rica is the location of much of the land of Costa Rica’s history from Pre-Columbian times to the Spanish Colonial Period and beyond.

The National Museum of Costa Rica has some of the absolute best galleries to be found in Costa Rica as well as a fair amount of diversity among what is presented in the galleries of the museum. There is art that showcases some of the highlights of the colonial period and the coffee and banana lords that followed that time period. It was originally founded towards the end of the 19th century in 1887 on May 4th by then president Bernardo Soto.

The original building where the National Museum of Costa Rica was founded was the University of Saint Thomas, and it was moved several times before it found its most recent habitation in 1950 at the remains of the Bellevista Fortress. The fortress was no longer a necessity after the army was dissolved by President José Figueres in 1949, and the bust of Mr. Figueres is now placed in the butterfly garden of the Plaza de la Democracia found at the museum.

There is a section of the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica which is dedicated to Nobel Prize winning ex-president Oscar Arias. It contains a great number of his writings, photos and other important items from his presidency and socially active life. The exhibit includes information of his 1987 Nobel Peace Prize which he was awarded in regards to his writings on society at large.

Some of the Stone Spheres of the Diquís Delta are also found at the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica. These are some of the oldest Pre-Columbian remnants from indigenous people who lived in Costa Rica centuries earlier. The spheres have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage since being discovered at the Palmar Sur Archeological Excavation, and it is believed that they were molded by early peoples via a potion.

The National Museum of Costa Rica is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon. The entrance fee for adults is $6 and children cost $3.

Location: Bellevista Fortress, San Jose, Costa Rica
Hours: 9:00am-4:30pm Tues-Sun
Price: $6 (adults) $3 (children)
Galleries: Historical Art, Artifacts, Photos, Sculptures, Historical Weaponry etc.