Museums and Art Galleries

There are more than 30 museums scattered around Costa Rica displaying everything from pre-Columbian artifacts to the history of railways. Many are conveniently located in downtown San José. Most guidebooks have maps showing their locations.

Although not as impressive as museums in the United States or Europe, there is still a lot to see. In general, Costa Rica's museums provide a good perspective on the history and culture of the country. Here is a list of some of the best museums:

Museums:
Calderón Guardia Museum, Barrio Escalante.................. 255-1218
Costa Rican Scientific and Cultural Center, (for children)....223-7003
Costa Rican Art Museum, Sabana Park........................... 222-7155
Entomological Museum.................................................. 225-5555
Museum of Criminology. ................................................ 221-1340
Museum of Contemporary Art ....................................... 257-7202
Gold Museum ................................................................ 223-0528
Jade Museum.................................................................. 223-5800
National Museum........................................................... 257-1433
Maritime Museum .......................................................... 661-3666
Juan Santamaría Museum, Alajuela................................. 441-4775

Galleries:
Alterna, Pavas ................................................................. 232-8500
Arte 99, Rohrmoser........................................................ 232-4035
Andrómeda, Barrio Amón .............................................. 223-3529
Café de Artistas, Escazú.................................................. 228-6045
Contemporary National Art Gallery. ............................... 257-5524
Jacob Karpio, San José.................................................... 257-7963
José Joaquín García Monge............................................ 221-1329
Kadinsky, San Pedro ....................................................... 234-0478
National Gallery, Children's Museum.............................. 258-4929
For more listings, see the yellow pages under Galerías.

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Christopher Howard's The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Cost Rica, is important when doing research about moving to Costa Rica.

By Hillary Chura
New York Times
July 30, 2005