San Juan Museums

(San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Museum buffs are well-catered for in San Juan, with numerous exhibitions of the city's history, heritage and art sited all over town, often in magnificent colonial mansions which can be considered museums in their own right.

Content is spread between the Stone Age roots of this long-settled island, right up to the colonial and later periods of occupation. Close attention is paid to the pre-Columbian ethnic people, their artefacts and their lifestyles. Both the Pablo Casals Museum (Museo de Casals) and the Museum of San Juan (Museo de San Juan) are must-sees, while the Ballaja Barracks (Cuartel de Ballaja) is of great historical significance.

Pablo Casals Museum (Museo de Casals)

Address: Plaza de San Jose, San Juan, Puerto Rico, PR
Tel: +1 787 723 9185
Located on the Plaza de San Jose is the Museo de Casals, dedicated to renowned cellist Pablo Casals. This world-famous and much-loved Spanish master musician's legacy to Puerto Rico was this celebration of his life and music, expressed in memorabilia, videotapes of his performances, manuscripts and much more. The classical music-themed Festival Casals is part of his legacy.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 09:30 to 17:30
Admission: charge

Indian Museum (Museo del Indio)

Address: Calle San Jose, San Juan, Puerto Rico, PR
Tel: +1 787 724 5477
Housed in the Casa de los Dos Zaguanes, the Museo del Indio displays artefacts from archaeological digs and other sources focused on the indigenous people of the Caribbean. Amongst the main relics, some of which date as far back as the 13th century, are some treasures from Taino Indians, early inhabitants of the island. The Tainos remain a mysterious tribe, although this museum does offer an insight into their lives and tries to add some facts to the myths and legends.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 09:00 to 16:00
Admission: free

Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena)

Address: Calle de Morro, San Juan, Puerto Rico, PR
Tel: +1 787 724 0700
The Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena is a celebration of Puerto Rican culture, offering an extensive display of pre-colonial artefacts and relics from the Stone Age to the colonial era. The principal highlight is a Taino village, impressively recreated and complete. This attraction is housed in this 19th-century 'Home for the Poor', which gave shelter to indigenous people. The surrounding plazas make for a pleasant wander.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:30 to 17:00
Admission: free

White House (Casa Blanca)

Address: Calle San Sebastian, San Juan, Puerto Rico, PR
Tel: +1 787 724 4102
This impressive 16th-century building is entwined with 500 years' worth of Puerto Rican history. Successive generations of the Ponce de Leon dynasty lived in the Casa Blanca for 250 years, followed by the Spanish military and, from 1898 to 1966, US military commanders. Now a National Historic Monument, the mansion contains an ethnographic museum and is a cultural attraction in its own right.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 12:00, 13:00 to 16:30
Admission: charge, discounts available for children

Ballaja Barracks (Cuartel de Ballaja)

Address: Calle del Morro / Calle Norzagaray / Beneficencia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, PR
Tel: +1 787 724 5052
The last major construction in the New World by the Spanish colonialists, the 150-year-old Ballaja Barracks were home to over 1,000 military personnel and built over a reservoir. After a spell housing the American military, the barracks became the Museum of the Americas (Museo de las Americas), which is currently home to innumerable displays, including an important collection of carved saints (santos). Guided tours are available between Tuesday and Friday, at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30 and 14:00.
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 10:00 to 16:00, Saturday and Sunday - 11:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Museum of our African Roots (Museo de Nuestras Raices Africanas)

Address: Casa de los Contrafuertes, Plaza de San Jose, San Juan, Puerto Rico, PR
Located on the Plaza de San Jose and within the House of Buttresses (Casa de los Contrafuertes) is the Museum of our African Roots. This attraction is rather on the small side and it won't take long to explore its assortment of masks, musical instruments, literature exhibits and sculptures, all of which have connections between this country and Western Africa.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 08:30 to 16:30
Admission: charge

Museum of San Juan (Museo de San Juan)

Address: 150 Calle Norzagaray / Calle MacArthur, San Juan, Puerto Rico, PR
Tel: +1 787 724 1875
The city's museum is dedicated to its five centuries of history and stands on the Calle MacArthur, just across from the Convento de los Dominicos, where it is housed within a colonial building with traditional Spanish architecture. With a sizeable collection of regional history, including information about the Caparra ruins, various photographs and exhibitions concentrating on the evolution of the city, visitors will find this attraction perfect to fill a couple of hours. The English-language documentary will give you a grounding of the heritage and significant past events when you arrive.
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 09:00 to 16:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: free, donations welcomed

Children's Museum (Museo del Nino)

Address: 150 San Juan, Puerto Rico, PR
Tel: +1 787 722 3791
One for all of the family, the Children's Museum lies next to a small park and features distinctive green and pink architecture. Children will no doubt enjoy all of the hands-on exhibits and interactive fun, with radios allowing them to speak to other countries, biology displays concentrating on the human body, and a miniature town with a strong recycling ethos.
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 09:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday - 11:30 to 17:30
Admission: charge, discounts available for children

Museum of Felisa Rincon de Gautier (Museo Felisa Rincon de Gautier)

Address: 51 Caleta de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico, PR
Tel: +1 787 723 1897
This attractive town house has an interesting past and was once the residence of Felisa Rincon de Gautier, who was also known as Dona Fela and served as the city's mayoress between 1947 and 1969. Dona Fela was actually the very first female ever elected as a capital city mayor in the Americas, and her historic home is now dedicated to her life of politics and campaigning for women's rights.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 16:00
Admission: free

House of Books (Casa del Libro)

Address: 255 Calle de Cristo, San Juan, Puerto Rico, PR
Tel+ 787 723 0354
The Casa del Libro functions as a museum-type attraction and is a well-preserved town house dating from the 18th century. As the 'House of Books', the exhibits are as you would expect, of a literary nature, with literally thousands of old manuscripts, some of which are more than 2,000 years old and of great local importance. Particularly notable are the 15th-century documents signed by King Ferdinand II.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 11:00 to 16:30
Admission: free