Like many Central American cities, San Jos� has developed layer upon layer from Spanish Colonial times to the present. Although San Jos� has plenty of modern structures, there are a significant number of historical buildings that now contain some of the city's most important museums. Originally serving as fortresses, prisons and factories, these museums now house more than exhibitions within their walls they embody historical presents as well and the city's relatively small size adds to the ability of visitors to experience most of these museums within a short period of time.
Beginning centrally, visitors might choose to start their day at the Plaza de la Cultura. Seeped in history, with the Hotel Costa Rica and the National Theater, newcomers are often surprised to learn that a complex of museums operated by the Costa Rica Central Bank lies beneath this wide expanse. As the only Costa Rican museum housed in a building specifically designed for that purpose, the Gold Museum (Museo de Oro Precolombino) is a glittering wonderland of Pre-Columbian metalwork.
The collection of this artistry is so extensive that a portion of the museum's holdings has traveled worldwide. This extraordinary collection, never before displayed nationally, is now part of a temporary exhibition that will soon be incorporated into a current renovation of the museum's holdings. This project, still underway, will not only give visitors the opportunity to view the remarkable pieces, but will also place them within a more cultural context. Interactive educational dioramas are planned that will engage visitors of all ages.
In addition to these archaeological displays, this museum complex hosts visiting exhibitions of contemporary art, as well as containing a permanent collection illustrating the history of Costa Rican currency. Street 5, Ave. Central-2; open Tue-Sun 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; residents 700 colones, non-residents 1500 colones, children under 7 free, students with valid I.D. 300 colones, Wed free for Costa Rican citizens and residents.
Across the Parque Espa�a lies the Contemporary Art and Design. Museum (Museo del Dise�o y Arte Contempor�neo) � Costa Rica's premier venue for avant-grade installations. Housed in the National Cultural Center, (Centro Nacional de Cultura) which includes theaters and the Ministry of Culture, the series of buildings once incorporated the National Liquor Factory, including the West Pavilion�one of the oldest buildings in San Jos�. The museum's tour rooms present both permanent and rotating exhibitions featuring both international and local artists, displayed in a soaring historical space that allows for both large scale and intimate presentation. Ave. 3, Street 1517; open Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; admission: adults 300 colones, children 150 colones; phone: 257-9370.
Not far from the National Cultural Center lies the National Museum (Museo Nacional). Housed in the century old Bellavista Fortress, there are bullet holes in the turrets from the 1948 civil war.
But that historical evidence is all that's left of those long ago times. Now the museum's peaceful central courtyard overlooks the Plaza de la Democracia, in front of which you'll find an artisan market featuring items from Ecuador and Guatemala, as well as Costa Rica. Nearly 50 years ago the fortress became a museum, which now contains some of the country�s foremost research facilities and educational programs, focusing on Costa Rica's indigenous heritage, as well as the National Library.
The museum also currently houses the country's beautiful and extensive collection of pre-Columbian jade objects. Just north of downtown lies the Costa Rican Center of Science and Culture (Centro Costarricense de la Ciencias y Culturas)� often only referred to as the Children's Museum. Built in the early 1900s, this castle-like building once contained the city's penitentiary, and the foyer contains a photo display and model of the structure in earlier times.
The museum's exhibits are educational and entertaining, focusing en Costa Rican culture, as well the environment, life sciences, the solar system, and much more. Children of all ages will enjoy the many interactive galleries, including one in which a section of floor moves in order to illustrate varying degrees of seismic activity. In addition to the museum itself, the center also contains a gallery space for temporary art exhibits, a library and an auditorium that often hosts concerts by the National Symphony.
Located at Parque La Sabana, the Museum of Costa Rican Art (Museo de Arte Costarricense) displays the most representative collection of nationally produced fine arts, from the end of the .nineteenth century to the present. In addition to several permanent collections, the museum also hosts temporary exhibits of fine art. When completed in 1940, the building originally housed San Jos�'s first international airport, and Costa Rican history is preserved pictorially in the astounding bronze-painted stucco and plaster carved walls of the Diplomatic Salon (Sal�n Diplom�tico), where the nation's presidents would receive important guests. Now known as the Sal�n Dorado, this jewel-box like space is often used for chamber concerts and other special activities.
Art and Culture 
