Museo Nacional - Museum Quito - Ecuador

If you only visit one museum in Ecuador, make it this one. Even if you're not an avid museum visitor, it's easy to spend an hour or two getting lost in the maze of exhibits, from ancient artifacts to contemporary paintings. There are five main sections in the museum: Perhaps the best known is the Sala Arqueología, which features artifacts from all over the country stretching back to pre-Columbian times. Some of the home exhibits taken from ancient tribes—tools, decorated plates and furniture, etc.—are particularly interesting if you have visited or plan to visit any of Ecuador's indigenous communities, where they still use similar objects and imagery today.

Other areas are the Sala de Oro, which has a good collection of gold objects from before colonization, The Sala de Arte Colonial, the Sala de Arte Republicano and the Sala de Arte Contemporáneo, each with a good cross-section of work from it's respective period. All five areas are very well laid out, with explanations in English and Spanish alongside each display.

Location:

Av. Patria, between Av. 6 de Diciembre and Av. 12 de Octubre.

Museum Types:
Archaeology, Art museum, Cultural, Art

Getting There

Take the Ecovía to the Casa de la Cultura stop, or the Trole to El Ejido. The museum is part of the Teatro Nacional complex, just north of the Casa de la Cultura.

Travel Tips:

The Museo Nacional used to be administered by the Banco Central del Ecuador. Since late 2010, it is under the auspices of the Ministerio de Cultura.

Price Description:

ADMISSION: free

Relative price: Free

Open Hours from:Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m., Saturday-Sunday and holidays 10 a.m.

Open Hours to:Tuesday-Friday 5 p.m., Saturday-Sunday and holidays 4 p.m.

Days Closed:Mondays, Christmas, New Years

Travel Skills: None

Contact Information:
Phone: 02-222-3258
URL: www.museos-ecuador.gob.ec