National Museum of Costa Rica — Attraction in Catedral

Today, we did a little more extensive tour of San Jose. This Museum is a treasure!

The National Museum of Costa Rica invites you to learn about the cultural and natural history of Costa Ricans, from pre-Columbian times to the present.

Its exhibition rooms show the varied collections in the fields of national history, archeology and natural history, which for 135 years has been the oldest in the country. It holds temporary exhibitions on artistic and cultural themes and has a varied agenda of activities throughout the year.

The Museum is located in an emblematic building, declared Historical Architectural Heritage and symbol of the abolition of the army in Costa Rica.

According to the United Nations, Costa Rica had an estimated population of 5,153,957 people as of 2021. White and Mestizos make up 83.4% of the population, 7% are black people (including mixed race), 2.4% Amerindians, 0.2% Chinese and 7% other/none.

In 2010, just under 3% of the population was of African descent. These are called Afro-Costa Ricans or West Indians and are English-speaking descendants of 19th-century black Jamaican immigrant workers. Another 1% is composed of those of Chinese origin, and less than 1% are West Asian, mainly of Lebanese descent but also Palestinians. The 2011 Census provided the following data: whites and mestizos make up 83.4% of the population, 7% are black people (including mixed race), 2.4% Amerindians, 0.2% Chinese, and 7% other/none.

There is also a community of North American retirees from the United States and Canada, followed by fairly large numbers of European Union expatriates (chiefly Scandinavians and from Germany) come to retire as well, and Australians. Immigration to Costa Rica made up 9% of the population in 2012. This included permanent settlers as well as migrants who were hoping to reach the U.S. In 2015, there were some 420,000 immigrants in Costa Rica and the number of asylum seekers (mostly from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua) rose to more than 110,000. An estimated 10% of the Costa Rican population in 2014 was made up of Nicaraguans.

The indigenous population today numbers about 60,000 (just over 1% of the population), with some Miskito and Garifuna (a population of mixed African and Carib Amerindian descent) living in the coastal regions.

Costa Rica's emigration is the smallest in the Caribbean Basin and is among the smallest in the Americas. By 2015 about just 133,185 (2.77%) of the country's people live in another country as immigrants. The main destination countries are the United States (85,924), Nicaragua (10,772), Panama (7,760), Canada (5,039), Spain (3,339), Mexico (2,464), Germany (1,891), Italy (1,508), Guatemala (1,162) and...

A Hidden Gem in the Heart of San José: The National Museum of Costa Rica

As a Costa Rican, I’ve never been particularly drawn to San José Centro. It just never caught my interest. However, this year I set myself a goal: to visit as many cultural and historical places as possible, and I started on January 7th with the National Museum of Costa Rica. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.

For years, I walked past this institution, even during my time as a university student in San Pedro. I always thought it was the Children’s Museum because of its castle-like appearance. I hadn’t been to the Children’s Museum since I was a little girl, and I only remembered it as a yellow castle-like building. But discovering that this was the National Museum was such an unexpected and wonderful surprise.

From the moment I entered, I was struck by the beauty of Costa Rica’s natural heritage. The lush greenery and the plants that thrive throughout the museum’s grounds reminded me of what we see daily as Costa Ricans—whether driving to Limón, visiting a rural town, or simply walking through the countryside. The butterflies, especially the iconic blue Morphos, were breathtaking. Seeing them up close was such a magical experience.

The rest of the museum continued to amaze me. The exhibits were an exquisite celebration of Costa Rican history and culture, bringing back memories of stories and traditions that we sometimes forget. Walking through the museum felt like traveling back in time. It’s such a grounding experience, reminding us of the rich history that shaped who we are today.

I had the chance to visit with my two best friends and my mom, and we made a full day of it by also touring the Jade Museum, the National Theater, and the Costa Rican Art Museum. It was a spectacular day, but the National Museum truly stood out as a highlight.

The only downside was the early closing time. At 4:15 PM, we were kindly asked to leave as the museum was closing. There was also an activity being rehearsed in one of the spaces, which was interesting to see, but it did mean we couldn’t linger as long as we wanted.

One of the best parts? As a student, I got free entry, which was a wonderful bonus. It’s so encouraging to see institutions making their offerings accessible to young people and locals.

In conclusion, the National Museum is phenomenal—a place every Costa Rican (and visitor!) should experience. It’s an incredible way to reconnect with our roots and appreciate the beauty and history of our country. I would encourage everyone to visit and support these institutions, perhaps even take a guided tour to dive deeper into the experience. It’s truly a must-see and a day I...

I do not recommend this museum unless you are very interested in Costa Rican history or 19th Century or older military fortification. Although it is nominally wheelchair accessible, you are going to want an electric chair or someone very strong to push you up and down somewhat steep zig zag ramps. If you walk with a cane or have other difficult walking, I would absolutely skip, even if you're very interested. There is only one way up and into the museum and only one way back out (the same way). You cannot skip going through certain rooms, for example, if you only want to get to the pre-colombian collection. And I can tell you that collection is much less impressive than the one next door in the Jade Museum, which I recommend 1000%.

There is, however, a large and impressive butterfly garden, well curated in Spanish and English. It is the first exhibit space you enter and which you must pass through as you go up and into the museum. I spent over an hour in the garden, maybe 90 minutes even, taking pictures and looking for different species.

The garden is much larger and more beautiful than the research garden on the UCR campus, which is only available via an Oropopo Tour or by appointment if you are a student or scholar.

There are lockers, restrooms. No cafeteria or food or drink available.

Be sure you know where the entrance is. Our taxi dropped us 2+ blocks from the only entrance. And because we did not know, we walked all the way up and around the large military fort situated on a hill.

Check out the website to see part of the collection, and if you're on the fence or short on time, I would absolutely skip it. If you do go, allow a minimum of 2-3 hours to traverse the single route in, through,...