Museum sights in Guatemala City
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Palacio Nacional de la Cultura
The imposing Palacio Nacional de la Cultura lies on the north side of the Parque Central. It was built as a presidential palace between 1936 and 1943 during the dictatorial rule of General Jorge Ubico at enormous cost to the lives of the prisoners who were forced to labor here. It's the third palace to stand on the site.
Despite its tragic background, architecturally the palace is one of the country's most interesting constructions, a mélange of multiple earlier styles from Spanish Renaissance to neoclassical. Today, most government offices have been removed from here and it's open as a museum and for a few ceremonial events. Visits are by guided tour (available in…
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Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología
The Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología has the country's biggest collection of ancient Mayan artifacts, but explanatory information is very sparse. There's a great wealth of monumental stone sculpture, including Classic-period stelae from Tikal, Uaxactún and Piedras Negras, a superb throne from Piedras Negras and animal representations from preclassic Kaminaljuyú.
Also here are rare wooden lintels from temples at Tikal and El Zotz, and a room of beautiful jade necklaces and masks. Don't miss the large-scale model of Tikal. The ethnology section has displays on the languages, costumes, dances, masks and homes of Guatemala's indigenous peoples.
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Museo Miraflores
Museo Miraflores is an excellent, modern museum inauspiciously jammed between two shopping malls a few kilometers out of town. Downstairs focuses on objects found at Kaminaljuyú, with fascinating trade route maps showing the site's importance.
Upstairs there are displays on textiles and indigenous clothing, separated by region, from around the country. Signs are in Spanish and (mostly) English. Out back is a pleasant grassy area with paths and seating - a good place to take a breather. To get there, catch any bus from the center going to Tikal Futura and get off there. The museum is 250m down the road between it and the Miraflores shopping center.
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Museo Ixchel
The Museo Ixchel is named for the Mayan goddess of the moon, women, reproduction and, of course, textiles. Photographs and exhibits of indigenous costumes and other crafts show the incredible richness of traditional arts in Guatemala's highland towns. If you enjoy Guatemalan textiles at all, you must visit this museum. It has disabled access, a section for children, a café, a shop and a library, and guided tours are available in English or Spanish.
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Railway Museum
The Railway Museum is one of the city's more intriguing museums (and the only one with a Domino's Pizza attached). Documented here are the glory days of the troubled Guatemalan rail system, along with some quirky artifacts, like hand-drawn diagrams of derailments and a kitchen set up with items used in dining cars. You can go climbing around the passenger carriages, but not the locomotives. It's between 9a and 10a Avs.
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Museo Popol Vuh
Museo Popol Vuh has well-displayed pre-Hispanic figurines, incense burners and burial urns, plus carved wooden masks and traditional textiles, fill several rooms. Other rooms hold colonial paintings and gilded wood and silver artifacts. A faithful copy of the Dresden Codex, one of the precious 'painted books' of the Maya, is among the most interesting pieces, and there's a colorful display of animals in Mayan art.
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Museo de los Niños
Almost opposite the entrance to La Aurora Zoo is the Museo de los Niños, a hands-on affair that is a sure success if you have kids to keep happy. The fun ranges from a giant jigsaw-map of Guatemala to a Lego room and, most popular of all, a room of original and entertaining ball games.
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Centro Cultural Metropolitano
On the first floor of the Palacio de Correos you'll find the Centro Cultural Metropolitano, a surprisingly avant-garde cultural center, hosting art exhibitions, book launches, handicraft workshops and film nights.
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Museo Nacional de Historia
The Museo Nacional de Historia is a jumble of historical relics with an emphasis on photography and portraits. Check the carefully manicured hairstyles of the 19th-century generals and politicos.
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Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno
Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno has a collection of 20th-century Guatemalan art including works by well-known Guatemalan artists such as Carlos Mérida, Carlos Valente and Humberto Gavarito.
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Museo de Historia Natural
The university's Museo de Historia Natural is at the same site as the Universidad de San Calos's botanical garden where the admission price covers both.
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Museo Nacional de Historia Natural Jorge Ibarra
This museum's main claim to fame is its large collection of dissected animals.
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