Other sights in San José
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Catedral Metropolitana
To the east of the Parque Central is the Renaissance-style Catedral Metropolitana, built in 1871, after the previous cathedral was destroyed in an earthquake. The interiors, in keeping with the period, are graceful neoclassic, with colorful Spanish tile floors, stained-glass windows, and a Christ figure (near the main entrance) that was produced by a Guatemalan workshop in the late 17th century. On the north side of the nave, along the passage to the Capilla del Santisímo (Chapel of the Holy One), a recumbent Christ that dates back to 1878 draws devout Ticos, who arrive here to pray and deposit pleas scribbled on small slips of paper.
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Parque Metropolitano La Sabana
Known simply as Parque La Sabana, this 72-hectare green space at the west end of the Paseo Colón was once the site of the country’s main airport. Today it is home to two museums, a lagoon, a fountain and a variety of sports facilities. It is also home to the Estadio Nacional (National Stadium), where international and Division-1 soccer matches are played (it will soon be replaced by a bigger stadium that, at the time of research, was under construction in the northwest corner of the park). During the day, it’s a great place for a stroll, a picnic or a relaxed jog. On weekends, it is packed with picnicking families and kids playing ball.
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TEOR/éTica
On Amón’s northern limit lies TEOR/éTica, a contemporary art museum housed in a vintage mansion, each of its elegant rooms featuring cutting-edge works by established and emerging figures from Latin America (such as Costa Rican artist Priscilla Monge, who is well known for her wry embroideries). This young museum features the private collection of the TEOR/éTica foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Central American art and culture. It is an important gathering spot for regional artists, who arrive to attend lectures, workshops and other events.
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Plaza de la Cultura
For many Ticos, Costa Rica begins here. This architecturally unremarkable concrete plaza in the heart of downtown is usually packed with locals slurping ice-cream cones and admiring the wide gamut of San José street life: juggling clowns, punk-rock teenagers and pop-lite Christian bands. It is perhaps one of the safest spots in the city since the entire plaza serves as the ceiling of the Museo de Oro Precolombino y Numismática, which is located one level down, and is therefore considered private property (this gives security guards the right to shoo away ‘unsavory’ characters).
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Parque España
Surrounded by heavy traffic and flanked by MADC and the Museo de Jade, the Parque España may be small, but it becomes a riot of birdsong every day at sunset when the local avian population comes in to roost. In addition to being a good spot for a shady break, the park is home to an ornate statue of Christopher Columbus that was given to the people of Costa Rica in 2002 by his descendants, commemorating the quincentennial of the explorer’s landing in Puerto Limón.
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Museo de Ciencias Naturales La Salle
Near the southwest corner of the Parque Metropolitano la Sabana is the Museo de Ciencias Naturales La Salle, which has an extensive collection of dusty stuffed animals and minerals. The exhibit has definitely seen better days, and although some of the animals look like they’re about to disintegrate, you’d be hard pressed to find a more bizarre display of taxidermy. It’s in the old Colegio La Salle (high school).
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Casa Amarilla
On the Parque España’s northeast corner is the Casa Amarilla, an elegant colonial-style house that is home to the ministry of foreign affairs (and is closed to the public). The glorious ceiba tree in front was planted by John F Kennedy during his 1963 visit to Costa Rica. If you walk around to the property’s northeast corner, you can see a graffiti-covered slab of the Berlin Wall standing in the rear garden.
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Plaza de la Democracia
The stark Plaza de la Democracia was constructed by President Oscar Arias in 1989 to commemorate 100 years of Costa Rican democracy. The concrete plaza is architecturally dull, but it has recently received a needed cleaning and some of its elevated terraces provide decent views of the mountains surrounding San José (especially at sunset). On its western flank is an open-air crafts market.
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Parque Morazán
To the southwest of the Parque España is another park, the Parque Morazán, named for Francisco Morazán, the 19th-century general who attempted to unite the Central American nations under a single flag. Once a notorious center of prostitution, the park is now beautifully illuminated in the evenings. At its center is the Templo de Música, a concrete bandstand that serves as an unofficial symbol of San José.
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Teatro Melico Salazar
On the north side of the Parque Central is this theatre, which was built in 1928 in a beaux-arts style. It is named after the well-known Costa Rican tenor Melico Salazar (1887–1950), who performed internationally (among other places, he sang at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City). The theater was the site of the 2002 presidential inauguration, and regularly hosts fine arts engagements.
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Estación del Ferrocarril de Costa Rica
The old train station to the Atlantic, the Estación del Ferrocarril de Costa Rica, was built in 1908. Though the building is closed (it most recently housed a children’s museum), it’s nonetheless a remarkable example of tropical architecture (and a good photo op), with swirling art nouveau–inspired beams and elaborate stonework all along the roofline.
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Museo de Arte Costarricense
At the eastern entrance to the Parque La Sabana is the Museo de Arte Costarricense, in a Spanish-style structure that served as San José’s main airport terminal until 1955. In the midst of a top-to-bottom remodel (reopening in late 2010), the museum features regional art and other exhibits.
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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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Edificio Metálico
The recently remodeled Edificio Metálico is a century-old two-story metal building that was prefabricated in Belgium. The structure was shipped piece by piece to San José and today it functions as a school and local landmark.
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Galería Andrómeda
On Amón’s southeastern edge, the smaller yet charming Galería Andrómeda is a free local art space featuring works by emerging artists, as well as a selection of literary magazines (in Spanish), among other publications.
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Jacob Karpio Galería
Jacob Karpio Galería is the city’s pre-eminent gallery featuring established contemporary artists from around the region, including Priscilla Monge.
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Galería García Monge
The Galería García Monge features temporary exhibitions by contemporary Costa Rican and Central American artists.
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Assamblea Legislativa
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Kiosco SJO
This gallery and design boutique, run by architect Juan Ignacio Salom, focused on showcasing sustainable design and the work of Latin American artists and artisans. If all the browsing makes you hungry, head to the lovely onsite cafe, Kalú.
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Museo de Insectos
Also known as the Museo de Entomología, this museum has a fine collection of insects assembled by the Facultad de Agronomía at the Universidad de Costa Rica. It is housed (somewhat curiously) in the basement of the music building (Facultad de Artes Musicales), a brutalist structure painted an incongruous shade of Barbie pink. It is claimed that this is the only insect museum of its size in Central America. The collection is certainly extensive and provides a good opportunity to view a vast assortment of exotic creepy crawlies. The museum is signposted from the Iglesia de San Pedro.
For contemporary art, pay a visit to the lobby of the Hotel Milvia, which serves as a not…
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Templo de Música
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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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Museo de los Niños & Galería Nacional
If you were wondering how to get your young kids interested in art and science, this un-usual museum – actually two museums in one – is an excellent place to start. Housed in an old penitentiary built in 1909, it is part children’s museum and part art gallery. Small children will love the hands-on exhibits related to science, geography and natural history, while grown-ups will enjoy the unusual juxtaposition of contemporary art in abandoned prison cells.
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Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo
Commonly referred to as MADC, the Contemporary Art and Design Museum is housed in the historic National Liquor Factory building, which dates from 1856. The largest and most important contemporary art museum in the region, MADC is focused on showing the works of contemporary Costa Rican, Central American and South American artists and occasionally features temporary exhibits devoted to interior design, fashion and graphic art.
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