Museo del Carnaval

Santiago's Carnival is the most famous in Cuba, and this small museum, in one of the oldest houses on Calle Heredia, aims to give visitors some historical perspective. Carnival counts centuries of tradition; the first published reference to the celebration was in 1669. It displays old costumes, black-and-white photographs, huge papier-mâché masks, and hand-painted and embroidered mamarrachos (capes). Percussion instruments show how popular the celebration is: They include old car parts and simple wood instruments. The final room displays a couple of the most recent winners of the costume contests -- elaborate and huge affairs. Folklore and music and dance events are held at the museum if there is no rain Tuesday through Saturday at 4pm, with rumba performances in high season only on Sunday at 3pm. Plan to spend about a half-hour viewing the displays. All the printed display information here is in Spanish.

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