Other sights in San José
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Museo Postal, Telegráfico y Filatélico de Costa Rica
A few blocks north of the Parque Central, the diminutive postal museum has a small exhibit of Costa Rican stamps (including one that commemorates John F Kennedy’s 1963 visit). It’s a good way to kill time if your friends are waiting in line to mail letters home.
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Central Park
The city’s central park is more of a run-down plaza than a park. At its center is a grandiose bandstand that looks as if it was designed by Mussolini: massive concrete arches support a florid roof capped with a ball-shaped decorative knob.
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Museo de Oro Precolombinoy Numismática
Beneath the Plaza De La Cultura is this three-in-one museum. It is owned by the Banco Central,and the dim, brutalist architecture brings to mind all the warmth and comfort of a bank vault. But the museum is an important repository of Costa Rica’s most priceless pieces of pre-Columbian gold, and the collection – which contains hand-tooled ornaments that date back to AD 400 – is beautifully lit and presented. Look for intricate depictions of regional fauna, such as frogs, bats, crabs and jaguars. A smaller exhibit area details the history of Costa Rican currency, while another features a rotating selection of regional art.
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Barrio Amón
North and west of the Jade Museum lies this pleasant, historic neighborhood, home to a cluster of cafetalero (coffee grower) mansions constructed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In recent years, many of the area’s historic buildings have been converted into hotels, restaurants and offices, making this a popular district for an architectural stroll. You’ll find everything from art-deco concrete manses to brightly painted tropical Victorian structures in various states of upkeep. It is a key arts center.
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