BEST MUSEUMS IN BOGOTÁ PART ONE
The history of Bogotá is as varied as it is long and one of the best places to learn about this history, culture and people is in the city’s many museums. From the wisdom of indigenous cultures to the magnificence of its original and creative modern works, the country has told much of its story through art and gathered one of the most valuable collections in Latin America. Visiting these Bogotá museums is an opportunity to view art and ancient artifacts from one of the most important cities in Latin America.
GOLD MUSEUM
If gold is eternal, then the building that houses it should be too. This, at least, is what the Banco de La República believed twenty years ago when it set out on an ambitious plan to totally renovate the Museo del Oro, the Gold Museum in Bogotá.
While for some, gold is a commodity, for others, it is sacred. The attraction to this most precious of metals is universal. During the last five decades, the Gold Museum has attracted millions of visitors and is considered one of the country’s most important cultural assets. Few visitors step foot in Bogotá without wandering the halls of The Gold Museum and standing in awe of its collection.
When it first opened its doors in 1968, the Gold Museum was considered a fitting home for over 50,000 pre-Hispanic gold artifacts. It was located at the very heart of a growing city and frequented daily by about a thousand local and foreign visitors.
Pectoral – Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Tairona Period 900 AD – 1600 AD
But the passing of time took its toll on the edifice. The imposing grey marble building, which was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and an Icon of Modern Colombian Architecture in 1970, lost its lustre and the gold that shone within shone somewhat less brightly. More than replacing lights, the gold and the museum required a complete transformation beyond the limitations of physical space into the realms of storytelling.
Anthropomorphic Pendant Calima Valley
Yotoco Period 200 BC – 1300 AD
To tell the story of gold in terms of conquest is to box it within history. While it brought the Old World to the New and was coveted by pirates and conquistadores, it is also a metal upon which most of the world’s economic system is based, a mineral of historical nightmares and modern dreams.
The transformation of the gold story to a revised, interactive one is as much a feature of the museum as are the 4,000 square meters allocated for exhibition space. The museum incorporates a modern auditorium, gift shop, restaurant and café and is rightfully ranked among the world’s great museums.
The new galleries set out to achieve a close relationship between the visitor and the objects. Furniture and fittings go almost unnoticed, placing the attention back on the objects themselves, their colours, textures and designs. By putting gold back in the spotlight, LED technology is used to faithfully recognize the colour of the priceless objects. Further technological updates are being implemented in 2025. The Offering Room provides a fabulous sound and light spectacle for visitors.
As part of the Museum’s dedication to education, a large Learning Room takes up the fourth floor and is called the Exploratorium. This enables the curious to take a deeper look into specific subjects and make the scientific storytelling more accessible for students and researchers.
The Gold Museum covers a total of six floors, including two basements, in which visitors can wander at leisure among the collection. Gold is a mineral that knows no boundaries. It is mined around the world, from the northern territories of Canada to the deep rainforests of Indonesia and Colombia. As a result, the gold story is universal and The Gold Museum tells it that way. Audio devices make it easy for the visitor to take tours in English and other languages.
The significance of the sacred in gold is on the third floor of the museum. The collection houses a magnificent array of miniature figurines, from jaguars, snakes and other animals, which were used in religious ceremonies and death rituals. Here, visitors can admire the golden amphora, Poporo Quimbaya and one of the country’s most recognised masterpieces, the golden raft of the Muisca.
The museum contains gold found in various locations throughout Colombia and is arranged both by date and community. It also displays information about Colombia’s indigenous past, including the story of El Dorado.
The indigenous people used many of these objects in daily life. There are also artifacts used for sacred rituals by tribes such as the Muisca and Tayrona. The museum is also home to an extensive collection of pre-Columbian art, including other metal alloys, such as tumbaga and pottery. For many reasons, one artifact that attracts much attention is the Poporo Quimbaya, a vessel used to store limes for the ritualistic chewing of coca leaves.
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday from 9AM to 7PM
Sunday 10AM to 5PM
Entrance fee is 5,000 pesos (US$1.20) with free entry for those under 12 and seniors over 60
No entrance fee charged on Sundays
Not suitable for those using wheelchairs
Address: Carrera 6 #15 – 88, Bogotá
Tel. (+57) 601 343 2222
Gold Museum on Facebook
Email: wmuseo@banrep.gov.co
Museum website
Museum Location
Museo Nacional de Colombia
The National Museum of Colombia has a rich collection of 20,000 pieces of art, artifacts and historical documents from throughout the history of Colombia.
Situated in the heart of Bogotá, this is the oldest and biggest museum in the entire country and also one of the oldest on the continent.
Founded in 1823, the museum occupies the site of a former prison that was in use until 1946. The ground floor presents pre-Hispanic Colombia through a beautiful series of ceramics arranged according to major themes. The first floor is dedicated to the Spanish conquest, the Republican period and the history of the country until 1886. Finally, the second floor, which opens onto a rotunda room whose walls are covered in paintings by Botero, exhibits a panorama of 20th-century Colombian art.
Orange by Fernando Botero
The museum is divided into seventeen exhibition halls focusing on archaeology, history, decorative and contemporary arts, as well as ethnography. Some of the highlights include a well-preserved Colombian mummy and paintings by many famous artists, including Fernando Botero, Enrique Grau and Guillermo Wiedemann. Apart from the displays, the museum organizes cultural events such as dance performances, audio-visual presentations and concerts.
The Santa Rosa de Viterbo meteorite
If you are interested in Colombian history and culture, the National Museum of Colombia is certainly worth a visit.
Opening hours:
Tuesday – Sunday 10AM – 5PM
Entry fee 40,000 pesos (US$10), Seniors and under 18 20,000 pesos (US$5)
Free entry Wednesdays 3PM – 5PM
Address: Carrera 7N, #28 – 66 Bogotá
Tel. (+57) 601 381 6470
Website: Museo Nacional
Facebook
Museum on YouTube
Museum Location
Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC)
There are over 50 museums in Bogotá, home to scores of universities, libraries and teeming with creativity. However, sitting outside the centre of Bogotá area in Engativá, the MAC stands as an example of the commitment by Colombia to modern art.
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Bogotá, also known under the abbreviation of MAC, is a museum located in the Minuto de Dios neighbourhood of Engativá, northwest of Bogotá, adjacent to the Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios.
MAC opened its doors in 1966 with a modest collection of 55 works. A modern building, designed by architects Eduardo del Valle and Jairo Lopez, earned them a National Architectural Prize, featured a large central skylight beaming light down upon its three floors, and was finished in 1970. Even today, it is considered one of the most dynamic and delightful meeting places in the Bogotá area.
The Museum of Contemporary Art has a collection of contemporary art made up of more than 1,600 works by Colombian and international artists. It is considered a meeting point for different contemporary manifestations from the visual arts to sound, stage, electronic and literary works.
Today, the Museum of Contemporary Art has established itself as a space where different cultural manifestations converge, contributing to the dissemination and appropriation of local, national and international contemporary art. The valuable collection is constantly increasing with new donations, which offer a look at contemporary art in Colombia from the 1960s to the present day.
Some of the highlights of the museum include works by Colombian artists Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar, Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt, and Luís Eduardo Urueta. In addition, the murals on the outer wall are well worth seeing. The pieces Signo Encuentro by Manuel Hernández and Sin Título by María Teresa Pardo have graced the exterior since 1986. These murals are the ultimate in street art.
The MAC hosts multiple events throughout the year, including its Thesis Project, an annual drawing competition and the Soacha Art Contest, to strengthen the art scene in the area.
Opening hours:
Monday – Friday 9AM – 5PM
Saturday 9AM – 12 noon. Closed Sunday
Entrance fee: 3,000 pesos (US$0.75)
Tel. (+57) 1 291 6520
Email: prensamachogota@gmail.com
Website: http://www.mac.org.co/
Address: Carrera 74 #82A – 81, Bogotá, Colombia
Museum Location
Museo Santa Clara
The Santa Clara Museum is situated in the heart of Bogotá’s historic centre, housed in the former Royal Convent of Santa Clara, a building that was completed in 1647. This location offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore a piece of Bogotá’s rich history while enjoying the museum’s extensive collection of art and artifacts.
This stunning church moved from Catholic hands to the Colombian Ministry of Culture in 1983. The building, therefore, is no longer used to celebrate mass or other religious ceremonies. In many respects, it is amazing that a deconsecrated church has been preserved with such care. The building is an excellent example of Baroque architecture from the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, the museum highlights not only the art and architecture of the original church, but also includes a huge collection of colonial religious art.
The Santa Clara Museum displays an impressive collection of paintings and sculptures spanning four centuries. From the 17th. to the 20th. century, these works of art provide a visual journey through time, reflecting the changing styles and themes of different periods. Visitors will appreciate the craftsmanship and creativity of artists from various eras.
The museum houses religious art and sculptures from the colonial period. Some of its highlights include an impressive collection of paintings by Spanish artists Gregorio Vásquez de Arce, Baltazar de Figueroa, and Agustín García Zorro de Useche.
The Santa Clara Museum has recently undergone a museo-graphic renovation, making its history and collections more accessible to visitors. This renovation includes the introduction of interactive mechanisms that provide information about the museum’s various spaces and the artifacts they house. This enhancement of the visitor experience allows for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the museum’s rich history and extensive collections.
Opening hours:
Daily 10AM – 4:30PM
Entry fee 40,000 pesos (US10), under 12 10,000 pesos (US$5)
Seniors free entrance
Tel. (+57) 1 337 6762
Email: museocolonial@mincultura.gov.co
Address: Carrera 8 #8 – 91, Bogotá, Colombia
Museum Location
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