Museum sights in San Salvador
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A
Museo de la Palabra y La Images
In its brand-new location, the Museum of Word and Image is a museum of Salvadoran writing and writers, with a heavy emphasis on the revolutionary movement of the '70s and '80s. No surprise really - the museum's director is Carlos Henríquez Consalvi, aka 'Santiago,' the Venezuelan-born journalist who was the founder and main voice of Radio Venceremos during the war. (You're liable to see him around the museum most days.)
The museum has three small exhibit areas, through which it rotates compelling exhibits on themes such as writers (like Roque Dalton and Salarrué), the massacre of 1932, and women in Salvadoran history. Throughout the museum are terrific black-and-white ph…
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B
Military History Museum
Head to the troubling but surprisingly interesting Military History Museum. In a series of interconnected, barrack-like rooms, President Maximiliano Martínez is praised for the 'resolve and patriotism' with which he suppressed Communist insurgents in 1932 - some 30,000 indigenous men, women and children were killed in the process - and Colonel Domingo Monterrosa, alleged mastermind of the massacre at El Mozote, is described as having 'written pages of glory for the history of the armed forces.'
On the walls and in floor-mounted displays is an incredible array of rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars, flame throwers, radio and night-vision equipment - almost a…
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C
Tin Marín Museo de los Niños
Where to start? This gem of a museum has so many interesting hands-on features, your little one may need a return trip. Roughly divided into four sections - health, environment, technology and culture - exhibits include a miniature supermarket (to learn about food groups), a huge artificial volcano (complete with smoke and red lights for lava) and a papermaking area (to learn about recycling).
There's a cockpit and fuselage of a real Boeing 727 airplane, and a real VW Beetle that kids can handpaint to their heart's delight - part of an exhibit on color and senses, it looks like an Andy Warhol piece. Another kid-favorite is the Casa de Gravedad (Gravity House) - a small ho…
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D
Museum of Popular Art
Yet another terrific museum is the Museum of Popular Art, which showcases El Salvador's underappreciated contribution to Central American folk art. The main attraction is the Sala Dominga Herrera, which describes the evolution of 'sorpresas,' the tiny clay figures made and sold in nearby Ilobasco.
Dominga Herrera (1911-1982), the daughter of ceramic doll makers, gained modest fame for her miniature and meticulously painted creations, which she began making on a whim but have since become a cottage industry for the whole town, even the country. Classic sorpresas are single pieces, usually portraying a profession, domestic scene or, more recently, sexual entanglements. Cont…
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E
Centro Monseñor Romero
This small center pays homage to the martyred archbishop, assassinated by government agents in 1980. It is also the place where six Jesuits, who, along with their maid and her daughter, were slain in their sleep by military forces in 1989. The displays include photos of the murder scene - be forewarned, they're pretty grizzly. University students give tours.
To get here, take bus 44. Don't get off at the main entrance; instead, wait until the smaller back entrance on Calle de Mediterreáno (ask the driver if you're unsure). From there, Centro Romero is a few minutes' walk into the campus; ask a student for directions or look at one of the posted campus maps. You can also w…
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F
Museo Nacional de Antropología David J Guzmán
Absolutely one of the best museums in the country, the Museo Nacional de Antropología David J Guzmán is worth a solid morning's visit. It may not look like much on the outside, but once you walk through the front door, you'll find it hard to leave.
Inside are two expansive floors of thoughtfully and beautifully presented exhibits on the Maya, the development of the people and land of El Salvador, the arts, religion and economy of the country…even prehistoric rock carvings and an artifact garden. The only downside of the museum is that signage is in Spanish only. It's worth bringing your dictionary.
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G
Museum of Modern Art
San Salvador's Museum of Modern Art is small but well designed. The permanent exhibit, called 'Puntos Cardinales,' uses the artwork of several generations of Salvadoran modern painters to explore facets of the national consciousness. Two temporary exhibit halls feature mostly Latin American artists.
The museum is a healthy uphill walk from the anthropology museum, and sits just behind the large Monumento a la Revolución. The museum restaurant, Punto Café, is a local favorite, but isn't particularly cheap. For something less expensive, try the street stands near the parking area.
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H
Museo de Historia Natural de El Salvador
Located at the far end of a shady recreational park, a stop at the Natural History Museum is a great way to spend an afternoon. It's small, but packed with information on the evolution of El Salvador's land, fauna and ecosystems. The geology and paleontology sections are particularly good. Signage is in Spanish only. Travelers could easily combine this with a visit to the zoo, just a couple of blocks away.
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