The Best Museums

Casa de Moneda ★ In 1622, the building that houses the Casa de Moneda was Colombia’s first mint, issuing the first gold coins in all of the Americas. The vast collection includes roughly 8,000 pieces, ranging from coins, medals, and banknotes to machinery used for minting coins and bills.
Calle 11 no. 4–93. www.banrepcultural.org/museos-y-colecciones/casa-de-moneda. 📞 1/343-1111. Free. Mon, Wed–Sat 9am–5pm; Sun 10am–5pm. Transmilenio: Museo del Oro.

Museo Arqueológico ★ Set inside of a mansion that once belonged to colonial viceroy the Marquís de San Jorge, this fine museum has an extensive collection of pre-Columbian artifacts. A compliment to the Museo del Oro, the pieces here are mostly ceramics, primarily from cultures from within Colombia, as well as Peru and Ecuador.
Carrera 6 24 no. 7–43. www.musa.com.co. 📞 1/243-0465. COP$4,000. Mon–Fri 8:30am–5pm; Sat 9am–4pm; Sun 10am–4pm. Transmilenio: Museo del Oro.

Museo Botero ★★ When Colombian artist Fernando Botero Angulo donated about 200 pieces of art to Colombia from his personal collection in 1980—including 123 pieces of his own art and the rest from the likes of Picasso, Chagall, and Renoir—he stipulated that there would be one condition: it could be visited by the public for free. While the collection of Botero’s work is not as extensive as the one in Medellín, there are many important pieces. The work is spread out over two floors in an elegant colonial building that once housed the archbishop. Audio guides are available in English for COP$6000. The museum is part of a larger art collection from the Banco de la República, and other exhibitions halls can be accessed within the same complex.
Calle 11 no. 4–41. www.banrepcultural.org/museo-botero. 📞 1/286-0466. Free. Mon–Sat 9am–7pm; Sat–Sun 10am–5pm. Transmilenio: Museo del Oro.

Museo de Arte Colonial ★ Set inside Las Aulas Cloister, an ex-Jesuit university that’s one of the oldest buildings in Bogotá and a national monument, the Museo de Arte Colonial has an extensive collection of 17th- and 18th-century art, including paintings, sculptures, silver, furniture, and coins. The highlight is the largest existing collection of works by the New Granadan painter Gregorio Vasquez de Arce y Ceballos, including paintings and a complete set of drawings. After being closed for several years for an extensive renovation, the museum re-opened in 2016.
Carrera 6 no. 9–77. www.museocolonial.gov.co. 📞 1/341-6017. COP$5,000. Tues–Sat 10am–5:30pm; Sun 10am–3:30pm. Transmilenio: Museo del Oro.

Museo de Arte Moderno ★ Bogotá’s modern art museum, better known as the MAMBO, opened in 1979 and was designed by notable Colombian architect Rogelio Salmona. Spread out over four floors are more than 4,000 pieces of modern art from both Colombian and international artists.
Calle 24 no. 6–00. www.mambogota.com. 📞 1/286-0466. COP$5,000. Tues–Fri 10am–6pm; Sat–Sun noon–4:30pm. Transmilenio: Calle 22.

Museo de la Independencia Casa del Florero ★ Located on the northeast corner of Plaza Bolívar, La Casa del Florero (the House of the Vase), also known as the Museo del 20 de Julio, dates back to the late 16th century and was built for the eldest son of one of the founders of the city. It was here that a dispute over a vase, between Spaniard José González Llorente and Colombians Antonio and Francisco Morales, led to the War of Independence. The museum’s 10 rooms, which feature independence memorabilia, are fine examples of early Colombian colonial architecture.
Calle 11 no. 6–94. 📞 1/334-4150. COP$3,000. Tues–Thurs 9am–5pm; Sat–Sun 10am–4pm. Transmilenio: Avenida Jiménez or Museo del Oro.

Museo del Oro ★★★ This is the pride and joy of Bogotá. It’s home to one of the world’s most impressive collections of its kind: more than 34,000 pieces of gold and 20,000 other pre-Columbian relics. The museum makes a great base from which to learn a bit about the pre-Columbian cultures that inhabited Colombia and South America before the Spanish conquest and the extent of their sophistication. Be prepared to be wowed by the top-floor, 8,000-piece “gold room” and the Muisca gold raft found in Lake Guatavita, which is tied closely to the legend of El Dorado. English-language tours are available at 11am and 3pm. If you can’t make one of the guided tours, there are also English-language audio guides available—just ask at the front desk. With the success of this museum, it has branched out with six other smaller, regional locations in cities like Cartagena and Santa Marta.
Corner of Calle 16 and Carrera 6. www.banrepcultural.org/museo-del-oro. 📞 1/343-2222 or 343-1424. COP$3,000. Tues–Sat 9am–6pm; Sun 10am–4pm. Transmilenio: Museo del Oro.

Museo Internacional de la Esmeralda ★ Most emerald mining in Colombia takes place along the Eastern Andean ridge, to the north of Bogotá. The 45-minute guided tours (in English and Spanish) offer a good intro to the process, an exhibition of different types of emeralds, how quality is determined, and the different mines in Colombia where the best stones are being mined. There’s an emerald store, of course, at the end of the tour, though you’re better off buying elsewhere. This museum is on the 23rd floor of the Avianca Building.
Calle 16 no. 6–66. www.museodelaesmeralda.com.co. 📞 1/482-7890. COP$5,000. Mon–Sat 10am–6pm. Transmilenio: Calle 19.

Museo Nacional de Colombia ★ Founded in 1823, this is Colombia´s oldest and longest-functioning museum, providing a good overview of Colombian culture and history. It is currently home to over 20,000 historical and archaeological items, dating from 10,000 B.C. to the modern era. Most impressive is the pre-Columbian exhibit of tools, handicrafts, and jewelry produced by Colombian indigenous communities before the Spanish conquest. You’ll also find a modern-art collection here, as well as a pleasant cafe.
Carrera 7 no. 28–66. www.museonacional.gov.co. 📞 1/334-8366. Free. Tues–Sat 10am–6pm; Sun 10am–5pm. Transmilenio: Estación Calle 26.

Quinta de Bolívar ★ In 1820, the government of Nueva Granada donated this house to Simón Bolívar in gratitude for his quest for independence. Bolívar owned the house for 10 years, though he was off fighting other campaigns in Peru and Venezuela for much of that time. Colombian government acquired the house and turned it into a museum in 1922. It was recently restored to its original state, the way it was when Bolívar lived in the house. Many of El Libertador’s personal belongings can be found here.
Calle 20 no. 2–91. www.quintadebolivar.gov.co. 📞 1/336-6419 or 336-6410. COP$4,000. Tues–Fri 9am–5pm; Sat–Sun 10am–4pm. Transmilenio: Calle 22 or Calle 19