Museo Nacional de Colombia (National Museum of Colombia), Bogota

Museo Nacional de Colombia (National Museum of Colombia), Bogota (must see)

The National Museum of Colombia (Spanish: Museo Nacional de Colombia) is the National Museum of Colombia housing collections on its history, art, culture. Located in Bogotá downtown, is the biggest and oldest museum in Colombia.

The National Museum of Colombia is a dependency of the Colombian Ministry of Culture. It is the oldest in the country and one of the oldest in the continent, built in 1823. Its fortress architecture is built in stone and brick. The plant includes arches, domes and columns forming a sort of Greek cross over which 104 prison cells are distributed, with solid wall façade. The building was first built in 1874 by Thomas Reed. It was known as the Panóptico (inspired on the Panopticon prison) and served as a prison till 1946. In 1948, the building was adapted for National Museum and restored in 1975.

The museum houses a collection of over 20,000 pieces including works of art and objects representing different national history periods. Permanent exhibitions present archeology and ethnography samples from Colombian artifacts dating 10,000 years BC, up to twentieth century indigenous and afro- Colombian art and culture. Founders and New Kingdom of Granada room houses Liberators and other Spanish iconography; the round room exhibits a series of oleos from Colombia painting history. Paintings by masters Débora Arango, Fernando Botero, Enrique Grau, Ignacio Gomez Jaramillo, Santiago Martinez Delgado, and Guillermo Wiedemann are part of the Permanent Collection.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Bogota. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Museo Nacional de Colombia (National Museum of Colombia) on Map

Sight Name: Museo Nacional de Colombia (National Museum of Colombia)
Sight Location: Bogota, Colombia (See walking tours in Bogota)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery

Walking Tours in Bogota, Colombia

Create Your Own Walk in Bogota

Create Your Own Walk in Bogota

Creating your own self-guided walk in Bogota is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Bogota Shopping Tour

Bogota Shopping Tour

Colombia is known for its gold and emeralds, recognizable national clothing, pottery, accessories, and other crafts. The country's capital Bogota is so rich in authentic shopping that it's almost mind-boggling to decide what to buy first and most importantly, where to buy it at the best possible price!

Start your quest at Pasaje Rivas Market, Bogota's oldest marketplace, offering...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Architectural Jewels

Architectural Jewels

Bogota, Colombia, is quite a city for an architectural experience. Attentive to the local historical heritage, the city has managed to preserve in full splendor most of its colonial buildings.

One such gem is the Palace (or House) of Nariño, the official residence of the President of Colombia. Its grandeur and historical significance make it a prominent landmark.

Not far away from it...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Bogota Old Town Walking Tour

Bogota Old Town Walking Tour

In 1538, the indigenous Muisca of the Colombian Altiplano had the advantage in numbers over the force of conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada. Arriving in the Muisca Federation, the Spanish had only 162 exhausted men. However, the guecha warriors of Chief Tisquesusa were no match. The Federation fell in bloody battle.

In the area now known as Quevedo's Fountain Square, Quesada set up 12...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles

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