BEST MUSEUMS IN BARRANQUILLA
MUSEO MAPUKA
The Mapuka Museum (Museo Arqueológico de Pueblos Karib) is the museum of the Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla.
The museum captures the pre-Hispanic past of the Colombian Caribbean, from the first settlers 12,000 years ago. It covers the invention of pottery in the Americas, the cultures of the lower Magdalena and the indigenous tribes. It also explains the conquest, colonization and the creation of the republic.
The museum advances and promotes the history of the Colombian Caribbean with recognition of this history that took place on the Caribbean coast so long ago, from pre-Hispanic times. The museum is divided into four principal sections: those of the prehistoric era, the first edifications, pre-hispanic civilizations and Spanish colonization.
The first and second sections of the museum describe the importance of the early civilizations, displaying a large number of ceramic vessels with animal ornaments from San Jacinto and the Magdalena River area of Barranquilla. This is where the earliest evidence of settlements and agriculture on the continent were found. The museum tells the history of the pre-hispanic civilizations located on the Colombian coast and explains about the three main inhabitants of the area.
The Taironas, who were chiefly builders and soldiers, the Zenues, famous goldworkers and the Malibues were sailors and merchants. Their stories are told through a large collection of objects from daily life, including weapons, totems, pottery, vessels and jewellery.
Each group had its own specific expertise, which was seen and explained through their weapons and war tactics. Other artefacts show that the Taironas were important makers of vessels and pottery items, with gold jewellery coming from the Zenúes, while precious objects made with shellfish were the contribution from the Malibues.
The fourth section of the museum explores the influence of Spanish colonization on the coast with more objects from everyday life. European dishware, maps, pistols and bullets, mosaic and religious symbols are all on display. There are also many short films for children to help them understand the history of the region.
Opening hours:
Monday – Friday 9AM – 5:30PM
Saturday 9AM – 1PM
Sunday closed
Entrance Free
Address: Km 5 Via Puerto Colombia, within the Northern
University
Museo Mapuka Location
Tel.: +57 5 3509509
Website: http://www.uninorte.edu.co/web/mapuka
Email: mapuka@uninorte.edu.co
CENTRO INTERACTIVO DE MEMORIA URBANA – CIMU
Exploring the urban history of Barranquilla and the Department of Atlántico is an educational and entertaining experience. In 2019, the Barranquilla Interactive Centre for Urban Memory (Cimu) was inaugurated using the first floor of the old Customs House, a niche for culture, art, study and research.
The floor has been converted into one of the most important cultural centres in the Colombian Caribbean region. The building also houses the Caribbean Pilot Library, the Historical Archive of the Department of Atlántico and the Caribbean Pilot Children’s Library.
Cimu was conceived as a kind of museum for Barranquilla, but adopting new audio and visual technologies. Its rooms combine historical information about the city with modern media, creating a more enjoyable and dynamic relationship between the content and the person viewing it.
The city’s past, present and future are presented in the museum in an audio-visual tour filled with videos, interactive graphics and extensive photography. Of particular note is the use of the photographic collection of Barranquilla held in the Pilot Library and the Departmental Historical Archive. Cimu has become a highly beneficial tool not only for the education of the city’s children and youth, but also for visitors to Barranquilla.
Opening hours:
Tuesday – Sunday 8AM– 4:30PM
Saturday 9AM -12:30PM
Monday closed
Entrance fee is from 10,000 pesos (US$2.50)
Address: Via 40, #36 – 135, Antigua Aduana, Centro
Tel. (+57 5) 379 2949
CIMU Museum Location
Wheelchair accessible entrance and restroom
MUSEO DEL CARIBE
TEMPORARILY CLOSED
BOJANINI ART GALLERY
Bojanini Art Gallery was founded twenty-nine years ago and is especially known for its original artwork and permanent exhibits of canvas paintings.
Bojanini Art Gallery
As you enter the Bojanini Art Gallery, you are suddenly faced with an explosion of colour. It is difficult to focus your gaze on a single point because there is so much to appreciate that your attention is scattered. After a second visual appraisal of the gallery, you will observe, carefully, the many different forms that the art of Ana Cristina Bojanini has customised. A Barranquilla native with Arab roots who has managed to build a signature based on impressionist lines that draw characters in everyday situations.
Bojanini is a brand known for its colourful hand-painted products on wood. She likes to inspire with lively art and unusual designs. Her paintings have been displayed in numerous art exhibits since 1995 and make up many private collections. Bojanin´s art is considered modern expressionism and its strength is derived from her extraordinary use of colour. The pillars of her work are discipline, creativity, versatility and originality.
The artist leverages the art of her original paintings to create a line of home furnishings and accessories. The pillars of her work are creativity, versatility and originality. Her art and paintings are considered modern expressionism and the strength of her work is derived from her extraordinary use of the colours of the Caribbean.
Opening hours:
9AM – 7PM
Address: Calle 79, #51-35, Barranquilla.
Tel. +57 605 360 5450
Website: http://www.bojanini.com
CARNAVAL MUSEUM OF BARRANQUILLA
The Carnival Museum is a monument dedicated to preserving the historical memory of the Barranquilla Carnival. Cherishing the legacy of its creators and their history, music, dances, masks, neighbourhoods, costumes and expressions that have turned the Barranquilla Carnival into a masterpiece and intangible heritage of the city.
Barranquilla Carnival Museum
It was conceived as a museum in which people would experience Carnival very closely, having the opportunity to understand its parades, traditional costumes and celebrations that have given life to one of the most representative festivals of world heritage. Colour is the strong identity of the carnival, so it was sought to project the joy and liveliness of its parties.
Between sounds, colours and choreography, you can assess each celebration as unique. This allows you to enjoy the joy of replicating the four days of Carnival. The exclusive exhibition of the parade costumes is on the second level, in tribute to the most important figures in the history of the festival.
Located in the heart of Barranquilla, in the traditional Barrio Abajo quarter next to Carnival House within the historical area and the new cultural corridor of the city. The building combines tradition with customs, verbal wealth and an entire culture that identifies the whole country. Barranquilla is the first city in the country to have a cultural setting dedicated exclusively to preserving the traditions of Carnival.
Opening hours:
Monday closed
Tuesday – Saturday 9AM – 12 noon & 2PM – 4PM
Sunday 9AM – 4PM
Entry fee 10,000 pesos (US$2.50), children and seniors 5,000.
Address: Carrera. 54 #49B-39, N. Centro Historico, Barranquilla
Tel. (+57 5) 319 7616
Carnaval Museum Location
Website: www.carnivaldebarrabquilla.org
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