Opening hours of all museums are from 9.30 to 12.30 on Mon to Fri. On the weekend, the opening hours are from 9 am to 1 pm. So, come and discover Bolivia's Top 6 Museums Worth Visiting:
1. Museum Costumbrista Juan de Vargas
This museum screams out loud the heritage of La Paz. Articles such as knights’ armor, old coaches, and other artifacts are displayed. There’s a lot of art, photos, colonial artifacts, colorful dolls, and ceramic figurine dioramas of old La Paz. There are also representations of St John the Baptist’s Day festivities and the hanging of Murillo in 1810. You can also eat out at the café over there.
2. Museo De Oro – Gold Museum
Museo De Oro presents a collection of gold, silver and copper articles like bangles and diadems. These precious objects were discovered underwater. Ceramics, mortars and pictures showing the ruins of Tiwanaku are also some of the artifacts over there.
3. Museo del Litoral
This museum reveals war history of Bolivia. This war was called saltpeter-war in which Bolivia lost against Chile. It went on from 1879-1883.
It was a big blow to Bolivia in which it lost many of its lands including a strategic seaside. There are old maps of borderlines, uniforms, and coffers, war equipment such as rifles, guns, pistols, and swords in this museum. It basically shows the Bolivian perspective of the war.
4. Casa Murillo
This museum was once the home of Bolivia’s most respected freedom fighter Don Pedro Domingo Murillo who was assassinated by the Spaniards in 1810. Don Pedro was the leader of the La Paz Revolution and this museum shows a historical background of this revolution. You can witness the life of Bolivia’s aristocratic class in the shape of colonial art and furniture, textiles, medicines, musical instruments and household items of glass and silver. The most acclaimed painting of this museum is ‘The Execution of Murrillo’.
5. Museo Nacional Del Arte
Museo Nacional Del Arte exhibits a bizarre collection of colonial tables, chairs, coffers etc. Holy paintings and modern art are also stars of this museum. If you like religious art, then you’ll enjoy this museum.
Guardian angels with blunderbusses and the trinity with three identical Jesus faces are some of the religious artwork in this museum. Its opening hours are:
Tues – Sat: 9.30 am to 12.30 pm, 3.00 pm to 7pm
Sundays: 9 am to 12.30 pm
6. Museo Arqueologico de Tiwanaku
This museum plays host to the archeological remains of Tiwanaku, Chiripa, Mollo etc. Some of the artifacts which you’ll see here are vases, bowls, drinking vessels, stone workings, arrow heads, and even mummies from the ancient times. Its opening hours are the same as of Museo Nacional Del Arte except that on Saturdays, it’s open from 10 am to 12.30 pm.
Other prominent museums which you should visit in Bolivia are Museo De Ethnografia Y Folklore, Coca Museum, and Centro Cultural San Francisco.
Have you been to any of Bolivia’s museums? Feel free to share your tips and recommendations.
Photo Credits (Flickr Creative Commons): Tiwanacan Puma by A.Davey