Overview

A city tour through San Jose is a good way to explore museums and historical sites. On this tour, you’ll learn about the cultural, historical, and archaeological aspects of Costa Rica. This tour includes visits to historical sites such as National Theater. The gold museum, Costa Rica University, Train station, Metal building, Central Market, National liquor factory, and the Supreme electoral tribunal.

The construction of the National Theater was seen as a solution to the need for a temple dedicated to the arts. The year of its opening occurred in October with a performance of Charles Gounod opera by the French opera company Aubrey. Next, the tour continues to the Gold museum considered one of the most relevant in Costa Rica.

Gold Museum

There are different collections inside the museum, these include the ethnographic collection and the ceramic and stone collection. But the most important one, due to its historical value and material wealth, is the pre-Columbian gold collection, which hosts about 1586 gold pieces like earrings, statues, bracelets, and animal figures. These pieces were created by tribes such as Diquís or Chibchas.

The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum has a modern subterranean infrastructure, which is located at The Central Bank of Costa Rica’s building, in the city center, in the plaza de la Cultura. The museum has three underground levels, in which you can find different temporary exhibitions in addition to permanent exhibitions. But the most interesting part is the Numismatics Museum, which exhibits the largest collection of the country’s coins.

Jade Museum

As we drive through the city of San Jose you will see important historical buildings. Also, we will visit a souvenir shop at the end of the tour
Return to hotel.

The Jade Museum and of precolumbian culture is positioned as an innovative state-of-the-art cultural proposal in the protection and conservation of archaeological heritage in Central America. Located in the center of Costa Rics’s capital, the building was especially constructed to house the museum’s collection, its architecture evoking a cut jade block. Its five levels exhibit objects crafted by artisans specialized in solving their daily subsistence needs, their spiritual and political world.

National Museum

Starting at the Gold Museum you will get the opportunity to understand not only the fascinating use and forms of the gold pieces, so important to the ceremonial and daily lives of the various tribes who inhabited pre-Columbian Costa Rica, but also one learns of the process involved in creating these beautiful pieces. About ten minutes walk East of there you will see the fine old rehabilitated Armory that houses the National Museum. This museum offers a broad overview to the background of the cultures from early times through the Colonial era right up to the Civil War and the Independence of present day Costa Rica.

National Theater

The National Theatre of Costa Rica (Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica) is Costa Rica’s national theatre and a national monument. It is located in the central section of San José in the Plaza de la Cultura. Built in 1897, the building is considered the finest historic building in the capital, modled after the great Opera House of Paris. It is known for its exquisite interior which includes its original lavish furnishings. The inside ceiling features the magnificent mural Allegory of Coffee and Bananas painted by Milanese artist Aleardo Villa. It is probably Costa Rica’s most famous painting and was featured on the five colónes bill, now a collector’s bill. As well as having a regular schedule of performances, the theater is a tourist attraction and offers tours. Performances by the National Symphonic Orchestra (NSO) take place as part of orchestra’s regular season, and include both Costa Rican and foreign composers.

National Coin Museum

Along with the Gold Museum, the Museo Numismático (National Coin Museum) is one of two well-known museums housed within the Central Bank Museums of Costa Rica. It showcases a number of interesting and beautiful items related to vital components of Costa Rican culture dating back to 1236. There are numerous exhibitions, but possibly the most popular is the exhibit on the history of Costa Rica’s currency. It includes exquisite examples of Costa Rican currency stretching back to the year 1502. This exhibit also features an explanation about each type of currency and how each one was used throughout Costa Rica. With thousands of artifacts, including coins used around the Conquest and Colonial periods, there is both beauty and wonder in the collections. For collectors, there are silver reals, onzas, escudos, gold, silver centavos, pesos, gold escudos and on display.