National Theater
The National Theater inaugurated in 1984 is an architectural gem and the most important building of the Plaza de la Cultura in downtown San Jos�. In an attempt to attract famous opera singers to the city. Opera and music fans set their minds on building this work of art became a nationalistic source of pride and was declared monument in 1965.
National Theater
This theater greets visitors with impressive statues of the Muses, paintings, of coffee harvesting, historic photographs of the theater and an Italian marble staircase. The theater is also home of the National Symphony. Melico Salazar Municipal Theater The Municipal Theater, an example structure with four levels of seating, offers extensive cultural programming, including modern dance, drama and opera as well as local and international bands. The building opened in 1982 and tooks its name from a famous Costa Rican tenor.
Insect Museum of the University of Costa Rica
Unique in Central America, this museum is famous for its collection of butterflies, beetles and other insects. It exhibits almost one million varieties of insects, collected for scientific study.
Costa Rican Museum of Art This museum, itsel a beautiful example of colonial architecture, exhibits artistics works primarly from the early 1900s. The museum's permanent collection features wood carvings by Francisco Amighetti and pastoral paintings by Francisco Zu�iga. Temporary exhibits spotlight the works of Costa Rica's contemporary artists.
National Museum
This museum is housed in the Bella Vista Fortress and features a large and extensive collection of artifacts appealing to a wide variety of interests. The museum promotes the study. preservation and exhibition of the flora and fauna of the country, as well as pre-Columbian art, jewelry and archeology: printing preses, historical documents, period photohraphs, and colonial and religious art.
The Central Bank Museums
The Central Bank Museums offers several attractions for the visitor in the same place. The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, has an extraordinary collection of objects in gold that reflect the world vision, social structure and metallurgy of costarrican pre-Columbian people. The exhibition shows the use, function, and technology of the pieces as well as their connection to nature and the daily life of these human groups.
Pre-Columbian Gold Museum
We are one of the 4 gold museums worldwide. The others are located in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. The Numismatic Museum consists in a extraordinary collection of bills, coins, coffee pay vouchers, printing presses, financial documents, art, photographs and others. Some of these objects date back to the 1500's. The Visual Art Gallery is comprised of two spaces designed for temporary exhibits. It offers the visitor an opportunity to experience the dynamic program of exhibitions pertaining to Costa Rica's visual arts.
Fidel Tristan Jade Museum, this museum, with the world's largest collection of American jade, displays pre-Columbian jade objects, precious stone works and valuable ceramics. An exhibit traces the history of jade working in Costa Rica to the Olmecs who brought their knowledge to the area from 800 to 300 BC.
Costa Rican Center of Science and Culture Museum (National Children's Museum)
This museum is housed in an old penitentiary where the most dangerous Costa Rican criminals where incarcerated. This museum provides visitors with a modern and interactive educational experience. Here children manipulate objects and equipment designed to enrich knowledge about outer space, mass communications, the sciences, arts, technology and recycling. There are 22 rooms to explore and learn.
Art and Culture 
