SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - JUNE 04: The entrance of the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican Museum of Art) on June 4, 2012 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Photo by Alfredo Sosa/The Christian Science Monitort

Christian Science Monitor/Getty Images

Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico

Top choice in San Juan


San Juan boasts one of the largest and most celebrated art museums in the Caribbean. Housed in a splendid neoclassical building that was once the city’s Municipal Hospital, MAPR holds 18 exhibition halls spread over an area of 130,000 sq ft. The artistic collection includes paintings, sculptures, posters and carvings from the 17th century to the present, chronicling such renowned Puerto Rican artists as José Campeche, Francisco Oller, Nick Quijano and Nayda Collazo-Llorens.

The facility also boasts a hands-on exhibition space for kids, a 2.5-acre sculpture garden, a conservation laboratory, a theater and a good shop. Creative workshops are regularly offered for children too.

Don't miss the gardens, where winding paths invite visitors to stroll past 16 sculptures and more than 100,000 plants in a scene reminiscent of Monet’s water lilies.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby San Juan attractions

1. La Placita de Santurce

0.31 MILES

Built in 1910, the Mercado de Santurce has been the center of activity for over a century, vendors doing a roaring trade in fruits and vegetables from…

3. Playa Ocean Park

0.62 MILES

Protected by offshore reefs and caressed by cooling seasonal trade winds, this wide sweep of diamond-dust sand is a favorite of locals. But this…

4. Parque Jaime Benítez

0.78 MILES

Sitting alongside the calm waters of Laguna del Condado, this park is a popular launching spot for kayakers and paddleboarders. On the first Saturday of…

5. Playa Condado

0.8 MILES

Hemmed in by hotel towers and punctuated by rocky outcrops, Condado’s narrow beaches are busier than Ocean Park’s and less exclusive than Isla Verde’s…

6. La Ventana al Mar

0.87 MILES

This small grassy park – the window to the sea – has contemporary sculptures, benches and shade trees. Best of all, it has great views of and easy access…

7. Instituto de Subcultura

0.96 MILES

This modern gallery in a bohemian corner of Santurce often has thought-provoking work from emerging artists and musicians. Expect contemporary, conceptual…

8. MADMi

1.07 MILES

This new addition to the city's thriving art scene is set in a restored Miramar landmark, a striking pink building dating to 1913. Engaging, interactive…