Jade Museum in Cartago

Very repetitive and not very well curated. $16 each for Americans, $5 each if you have a Costa Rican student ID.60% pottery of all nomenclatures, 20% art exhibit of Salvador Dali (who was one weird dude), 20% jade in various formats.Was interesting the first 30min but there’s a lot of historical context lacking. Also not interactive in the least bit.That said, better than sitting at home for $5.

We really enjoyed this museum and learned a lot of information! The only exhibit that didn’t have English was the temporary one about women’s impact in Costa Rican politics and rights (I think). But everything else had English and Spanish so we had no trouble at all. I found the artifacts and information to all be really cool. Dali’s art was on display when we went (April-Septemberand I’m not much of a fan of his art however it was still nice to look at and experience anyways. I definitely would recommend it as a whole because the exhibits that don’t rotate were awesome!

This place was one of the coolest places I went to during my trip! First off there was AC which is great! There were so many different exhibits and wonderful things to look at. The museum was spacious and even with a good amount of people walking around it didn’t feel crowded at all. There was such a wide variety of stuff to look at, you could really spend all day there. It was about $6 a ticket and totally worth it. We spent about three hours there but you could have spent even more time.

I enjoyed my time at the museum. Good information presented in varying ways. Although the excavation pit is questionable.No doubt the Goya/Dali exhibit made the admission price more palatable.

Very nice museum! They have a good permanent exposition! It’s a big construction and the staff is very friendly!

Amazingly full, interactive and informational. What an amazing combination of exhibits. Spent multiple hours here.

There are interactive displays and holographic ones as well.

Beautiful museum with the jade theme and aesthetic staying consistent throughout the entire museum. A lot of beautiful artifacts to admire. Definitely would recommend to tourists wanting to see the beauty in Costa Ricas history.

I was greatly impressed by the organization of the exhibition. Besides the pre-Columbian exhibition there was an exhibition of Salvador Dali lithographs and Francisco de Goya paintings. Although most of the arctifacts were made of ceramic, there were a lot of jade and nephritis pieces. What I liked most about the pre-Columbian exhibition was how comprehensive it was. There was a detailed amount of the pre-Columbian culture aspects, such as war, hunting, marriage, religion and music. The exhibition also expounded on how the environment impinge on the lives of the Indians. Furthermore, the amount and quality of the pieces was impressive. The only negative comment that I have is that I had trouble identifying the arctifacts with the descriptions because many of the objects did not include the numbers next to it.

Low entry fee for students. More interesting than most of the exhibits were the information about life in the pre-Colombian era and the relation between humans and animals. I personally liked the special exhibition on famous (influentialwomen in the history of Costa Rica. The other exhibits (pots, different pieces made from Jadewere quite repetitive.Also very child-friendly with different games.

Pros: nice building and impressive collection. When I was there they had some Dali works on display.Cons: $16, closed Monday and badly curated. Like really badly. There was basically no text to read for any of the displays and the text provided often didnt relate. For some displays there was a touch screen display, but at least half were off and the remainder were pretty much a waste of time. The objects seemed to be grouped fairly randomly, or if there was an sort of orderIf you are interested in questions like l, where did this object come from? Who made it? Id that a diety on the vase? Are those logograms Mayan? You will not find the answers here.

Great if you like pre Colombian artefacts. Well presented. A little expensive at $16 for foreigners.I was drawn in by the Goya and Dali publicity, but failed to realise its just Dalis print/lithograph interpretations of Goyas work, not the surrealism that the former is famous for.

This 5 floor museum was built to preserve artifacts containing jade and clay dating back to a pre-columbian era.Each floor has its own theme and writeup. I encourage you to read about what youre looking at because its fascinating to learn about the significance of Jade and how it was used as a symbol of power and status, usually worn by chiefs and shaman.Youll see beautifully detailed clay pots and if you go to floor 5 youll see a massive ceramic collectionThis society also created rolling stamps that they would apply plant extracts and clay onto and roll it onto the skin to apply tattoos.The pre-colombian society would participate in funerary rituals where they would bury jade jewelry with the deceased.They would also carve heads out of stone. During this period, decapitating rivals symbolised power.You can also find musical artifacts like flutes and maracas.I personally think its a great way to get a look into the past and I recommend a visit.

I wanted to enjoy this museum more, but I felt it was very basic. Jade is my middle name so Its always been one of my favorite stones, and there was a ton of it and i didnt know about it’s history here. However other than that, I don’t feel I gained much new cultural information about the peoples or the area. There was a lot on display but a lot of similar things and the plaques explaining were very generic.It also seemed like parts were being renovated or moved around. There were spaces that looked like it should have a display but it wasn’t there. Some areas were blocked off. A few displays said “touch” but were either blocked off so you couldn’t or had another “do not touch” sign placed after.For $16, I don’t feel this was worth it. But here are some pics of a few things I did enjoy.

It wasnt crowded at all, but we went early in the day. The top floor had very few explanations of the exhibits. A couple of the temporary exhibits were only in Spanish, which I read and explained to my 10 yr old. Worth at least an hour of your time!

Loved looking at the various Jade pieces on the 2nd floor 😍. I really wish the museum displays/captions included more information about what the pieces are or how they were used in the past 😔. Also really enjoyed the pottery exhibit on 5th floor. The painted and molded detailing is exquisite.

I was surprised how well this 5 storey museum presented their huge collection! On the 5th floor there’s the largest collection of precolombian ceramics I have ever seen. I took so many pictures as I found the art so inspirational. The building itself I found really aesthetically pleasing too. Well worth the visit. Not just jade but so much more.

The objects in this place makes you think about where we Costarican are from and how they figured to create so amazing art with simple tools.If you find yourself around San Jose downtown do yourself a favor and go I’ll take about hour and a half maybe more if you are curious.

Honestly a great experience I enjoyed going through all of it, keep in mind its aroing $16 however if you are a student and you show some student ID its only $5 also if you want a tour guide its an extra $2 per person not group, I believe that its not needed since the exhibits have each description.

There are many well crafted exhibits at the museum. The story of the lives of the indigenous people is portrayed very well.

Excellent museum of pre-Columbian Costa Rica. Little pricey for tourist at $16usd. But totally worth it. I would recommend 1.5 to 2 hours or longer.

I enjoyed my lonely visit,. .. swinging between nature inspired jade and clay pieces, shamanic artefacts, nicely displayed exhibition,.... embracing simplicity and proufoundness of pre Colombians life. Thank you

This was a HUGE museum! 5 floors of exhibits showing tons of artifacts from Costa Ricas ancient history. It was interesting to learn about the use and carving of Jade, and there were alot of written descriptions and videos that gave context in Spanish and English. We were a little exhausted from the sheer amount by the time we reached the 5th floor, but each gallery was so different and unique we wanted to keep going!! Only disappointment was the gift shop, but the Gold Museum had a nice gift shop not far away

Certainly worth visiting. Great collection of jade objects and more.The animal figurines are amazing. The interactive parts work a bit less well.We spend 2 hours at this museum.No bags and bag packs allowed but you find free lockers at the entrance

If you like museums, this is a good place to spend some time. There are some interesting exhibits and interactive games. If you dont speak or read Spanish, its a little inconvenient, but there are still lots of the interactive displays that you let you change language to English. The $16 cost is a bit high as far as museums go for what you get though.

It was okay. I was not that impressed with the exhibits. The biggest Jade is in the lobby which you dont have to pay for to see it.

This place was magical. Felt a deep connection inside my soul as I walked past and admired ancient shamanic tools from the past

What an interesting place to visit! The exhibition expands on history of pre Colombian natives and adds very well to the information provided by a nearby National Museum of Costa Rica. The artifacts are not limited to jade and showcase lots of traditional pottery. Each section is well organized and flows naturally. The descriptions and activities on each floor are detailed enough and will keep you here for well over 2 hours. Highly recommend to visit AFTER visiting National Museum of Costa Rica.

This excellent museum contains many examples of Jade and Pre Columbian art.It also includes some Pre Columbian Gold art.Its well organized on 4 floors of exhibits including the history of the Jade art in the Central American region.Definitely worth the $15 US admission.Please allow at least 2 hours so latest start time would be around 3 pm as the museum closex at 5 pm

A great museum in the middle of the city. I highly recommend spending two hours here reading through the history, touching the objects (signs will tell you which ones are allowed), and watching the videos. I learned so much and gained a better appreciation for the rich history of jade excavation and carvings.

The only museum open on Mondays. And we were positively surprised by its professionalism! A great way to learn more about pre-colombian society in Costa Rica. Entrance fee is 15$ and worth it.

Cool museum with many different stone and pottery exhibits. I definitely liked the pre Colombian gold museum better though. This place can be pricey for a tourist of you dont have a student ID.

This is a wonderful modern museum of Central America cultural legacy. The collection is huge and interiors are elegant modern and really friendly. Is a great place for family and scholar tours. Unforgettable.

Starts off a little slow, but dont be fooled. This museum is an ~actual~ gem. This is great with the other museums in walking distance. Must see!

The light, oh the light. Friendly, caring staffI had a carry-on and backpack that would not fit in their locker systems. Without me asking they directed me to a locked staff closet and stored my belongings safely for me. Entry is 15.00 US Dollars. If you are a citizen of Costa Rica or foreign student it is much less 5.00 for citizens.The best part the collection, artfully displayed. I learned a bit (some Englishabout the indigenous culture. The symbols, shaman, everyday life. How Jade was in incorporated into ceremony and status.

Amazing the amount of history in this collection. 5 story building with a lot of antiques and indian and pre colombine history.

Great collection of archeological finds together with interesting information. The presentation is amazing. I especially enjoyed the halls of night and day.

A fantastic collection of jade and pottery spread out over several floors. Very interesting exhibits charting the culture of the native people. The amount and quality of the preserved relics is almost overwhelming. Well worth the visit if you happen to be in the capital.

Its a 5 stores building kids friendly Wich will tell you the all history of the Indians from Costa Rica their shaman belief how they molded Jade how they live Wich areas produced what everything in a brand new building it has WiFi

It is a nice place to learn a bit of Costa Rican history and pre colombian time. Other than that there is just a lot of the same. Same pieces repeated over and over again.

This is a beautiful museum to check out for a few hours if you are visiting San José, or just looking to enlighten yourself. The exhibits are very well organized and gives one a great illustration of the cultural and biological diversity of Costa Rica. The 4 floors are easily navigable and takes roughly 2-3 hours to walkthrough if you are taking your time. The jade artifacts are incredible and the food court on the main floor is surprisingly solid, especially if you are visiting because they take dollars as well as colones.

The museum is very educational about the history of Costa Rica and how the indigenous people used Jade. There are also interactive activities though-out the museum that are really fun to do and help you learn.

This museum born in 1977 and was founded by the first president of the National Insurance Institute, Fidel Tristán Castro, today the museum bears his name. Originally located in the 11 floor of the INS building, it reside in a new home since 2014 one block west of the National Museum. This place holds one of the biggest collections of Jade gold and stone jewelry as well as ceramic and stone artifacts and other pieces from 500 BC to 800 AD separated y five rooms in three floors. Here you can also find a room for temporary exhibitions for national and international artist.

A museum filled with pre Columbian artifacts, explanations of how items were used, videos, and of course carved Jade items.The museum covers many floors of the INS building.The museum is wheelchair accessible.

Great museum! It has at least four exhibition floors of pre-Columbian indigenous peoples crafts and tools. The displayed languages are Spanish and English. Cost per person (foreignersis 15 USD.

This location had 5 floors open to the public and only one of them is dedicated to Jade. Its a relatively small museum the decor and information is nice, simple and bilingual is spanish and English. It’s a beautiful museum, just not above and beyond.

Distant to what a modern museum should be. But the collection is really impressive. 5 floors with many areas, from old hunting jade artifacts to mud bowls for different ceremonies. A must for any San José visitor, near downtown and walking distance. $5 USD for locals and $15 USD for foreigners, students have additional discounts if ID is presented.

Super interesting. Tons of great artifatcs and no displays. There are four floors of Jade exhibits to see.

This museum tells the most amazing history of the indigenous people of Costa Rica!It is in San Jose, Costa Rica and is a must see!

Beautiful museum, very nice presentation, I was quite disappointed with the computer system that gives information on the artifacts, leaving me with watching them without learning as much as I wanted to.