Showing 1-18 of 18 results
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Calle Jaén Museums
Four, small, interesting museums are clustered together along Calle Jaén, La Paz's finest colonial street, and can easily be bundled into one visit. Buy tickets at the Museo Costumbrista.
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Casa de Murillo
Once the home of Don Pedro Domingo Murillo, a leader in the La Paz Revolution of July 16, 1809, the Casa de Murillo displays collections of colonial art and furniture, textiles, medicines, musical instruments and household items of glass and silver that once belonged to Bolivian aristocracy. Other odds and ends include a collection of Alasitas miniatures.
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Coca Museum
Chew on some facts at the Coca Museum which explores the sacred leaf's role in traditional societies, its use by the soft-drink and pharmaceutical industries and the growth of cocaine as an illicit drug. The displays (ask for a translation in your language) are educational, provocative and evenhanded.
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Iglesia de San Francisco
The hewed stone basilica of San Francisco reflects an appealing blend of 16th-century Spanish and mestizo (indigenous-Spanish) trends. The facade is decorated with stone carvings of natural themes while the mass of rock pillars and stone faces in the upper portion of the plaza is intended to honor Bolivia's three great cultures - Tiahuanaco, Inca and modern.
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Mirador Laikakota
The Mirador Laikakota - part of Kusillo Cultural Complex & Children's Museum - is in a tranquil park setting and is perfect for kids.
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Museo Costumbrista Juan de Vargas
The Museo Costumbrista Juan de Vargas contains art and photos, as well as some superb ceramic figurine dioramas of old La Paz. One of these is a representation of akulliko, the hour of coca-chewing; another portrays the festivities surrounding the Día de San Juan Bautista (St John the Baptist's Day) on June 24; another depicts the hanging of Murillo in 1810. Also on display are colonial artifacts and colorful dolls wearing traditional costumes.
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Museo de Arte Contemporaneo
Better modern art may be found in various other collections around town, but the private Museo de Arte Contemporaneo wins the gold star for the most interesting building: a restored 19th-century mansion (only one of four left on the Prado) with a glass roof and stained-glass panels designed by Gustave Eiffel. The museum's eclectic collection is a mix of reasonable - but not mind-blowing - Bolivian and international work.
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Museo de Etnografía y Folklore
The free Museo de Etnografía y Folklore is for anthropology buffs. The building, itself a real treasure, was constructed between 1776 and 1790, and was once the home of the Marqués de Villaverde. The highlight is the Tres Milenios de Tejidos exhibition of 167 stunning weavings from around the country - ask a guide for a look inside the drawers beneath the wall hangings.
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Museo de Instrumentos Musicales
The exhaustive, hands-on collection of unique instruments at the Museo de Instrumentos Musicales is a must for musicians. The brainchild of charango master Ernesto Cavour, it displays all possible incarnations of charangos (a traditional Bolivian ukulele-type instrument) and other indigenous instruments used in Bolivian folk music and beyond. If you don't happen on an impromptu jam session, check out Peña Marka Tambo across the street.
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Museo de la Revolución Nacional
The first question to ask when approaching this Museo de la Revolución Nacional is 'Which Revolution?' (Bolivia has had more than 100 of them). The answer is the one of April 1952, the popular revolt of armed miners that resulted in the nationalization of Bolivian mining interests. It displays photos and paintings from the era.
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Museo de Metales Preciosos
Also known as the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum), the Museo de Metales Preciosos houses three impressively presented salons of pre-Colombian silver, gold and copper works. A fourth salon in the basement has examples of ancient pottery.
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Museo de Textiles Andinos Bolivianos
Fans of Bolivia's lovely traditional weaving consider the small Museo de Textiles Andinos Bolivianos a must-see. Examples of the country's finest traditional textiles (including pieces from the Cordillera Apolobamba, and the Jal'qa and Candelaria regions of the Central Highlands) are grouped by region and described in Spanish. The creative process is explained from fiber to finished product. The gift shop sells museum-quality originals; 90% of the sale price goes to the artists.
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Museo del Litoral
Sometimes called the Museo de la Guerra del Pacífico, the diminutive Museo del Litoral incorporates relics from the 1884 war in which Bolivia became landlocked after losing its Litoral department to Chile. The collection consists mainly of historical maps that defend Bolivia's emotionally charged claims to Antofagasta and Chile's Segunda Región.
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Museo Nacional de Arqueología
Two blocks east of the Prado, the National Archaeology Museum holds a small but well-sorted collection of artifacts illustrating the most interesting aspects of the Tiahuanaco culture's five stages. Unfortunately there are no explanations in English, only Spanish.
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Museo Nacional del Arte
Near Plaza Murillo, the Museo Nacional del Arte is housed in the former Palacio de Los Condes de Arana. The building was constructed in 1775 of pink Viacha granite and has been restored to its original grandeur. In the center of a huge courtyard, surrounded by three stories of pillared corridors, is a lovely alabaster fountain.
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Museo San Francisco
The cloisters and garden of the recently opened Museo San Francisco, adjacent to the basilica, beautifully revive the history and art of the city's landmark. There are heavenly religious paintings, historical artifacts, an interesting anteroom and a Godlike, if quirky, view from the roof.
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Museo Tambo Quirquincho
The intriguing Museo Tambo Quirquincho, off Evaristo Valle at Plaza Alonzo de Mendoza, is a former tambo (wayside market and inn). There are displays of old-fashioned dresses, silverware, photos, artwork and a collection of Carnaval masks.
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Templete Semisubterráneo (Museo al Aire Libre)
The open-pit Templete Semisubterráneo (Museo al Aire Libre) contains replicas of statues found in Tiahuanaco's Templete Semisubterráneo. The showpiece Megalito Bennetto Pachamama (Bennett monolith) was moved to Tiahuanaco's new site museum to avoid further smog-induced deterioration. This place is only worth seeing if you aren't able to visit the actual site.
Read more about Templete Semisubterráneo (Museo al Aire Libre)
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Showing 1-18 of 18 results
