Museums

Museum buffs will find a bevy of opportunities around the Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo’s Colonial City—the first urban settlement in the New World—houses excellent museums providing insight into the Spanish colonial days—from the Alcázar de Colón palace to the Museo de las Casas Reales, where the royal court was housed. The city also boasts a museum complex at Plaza de la Cultura, showcasing history and modern art, while the latest offering in the city is all about Dominican chocolate. In Puerto Plata, you can learn about national heroes and precious stones, while Samaná offers an insightful small museum on its humpback whales, and Sosúa has a fascinating Jewish Museum. La Romana’s Altos de Chavón is home to the most comprehensive display on the Taino at the Regional Museum of Archeology.

Whether covering history, geography, precious stones, chocolate, baseball, rum, family life in the DR, or architecture, among other topics, there’s a museum to fit all ages and interests.

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MUSEUMS IN
Dominican Republic

From Columbus’ 16th century palace to modern art, and independence heroes, museums offer a comprehensive window into Dominican history.

 
 
Built in the shape of a cross, the Columbus Lighthouse stands over the eastern end of Santo Domingo. The remains of Christopher Columbus were located at this site, which doubles as a mausoleum and museum.
Santo Domingo
Built in the early 19th century, this yellow-toned fortress has a beautiful, ornate exterior gate with two cannons facing the city. A key defense post during the War of Restoration, US Marines also used the fort as a base during the first US occupation of the DR (1916-1924).
Santiago
Operated by one of the country’s top cacao exporters, this part museum, part chocolate factory offers a comprehensive glimpse of the DR’s thriving cacao industry.
Santo Domingo
Close to Boca Chica hotels, the display features memorabilia from the World Baseball Classic won by the Dominican Republic in 2013, as well as bats and balls used in historic baseball moments, donated by Dominican MLB players.
Boca Chica, Santo Domingo
The city’s iconic white marble tower, circled on all sides by a multilevel garden and boasting panoramic views over the city. You can tour its interior, named after the heroes of the Restoration War who died in the fight to regain the DR’s independence from Spain.
Santiago
One of the most comprehensive displays on pre-Columbian and Taino indigenous culture in the DR, from 4000 B.C. to 1492, counting over 3,000 pieces.
La Romana
The private Museo Bellapart houses an outstanding art collection of over 2,000 works of art from renowned 19th and 20th century Dominican artists—paintings to sculptures and plastic art.
Santo Domingo
The DR’s first wax museum showcases the life of one of the country’s most beloved independence heroes: Juan Pablo Duarte. Life-size wax figure displays depict his life trajectory. On the second floor is the former home of the Duarte family.
Santo Domingo
La Altagracia Museum features an impressive collection of paintings and gold jewelry dating back to the 17th century and up to the 20th. It also showcases the religious history and culture of the DR, and its devotion to the Virgin of La Altagracia.
Higüey, Punta Cana
The Museum of Royal Atarazanas (MAR), is a space that houses the most important underwater archeology exhibition in the Dominican Republic and throughout the Americas. MAR opened in 2019 with the goal of publicizing a valuable collection of historical and cultural assets extracted from Dominican coasts. Its museography is developed through a narrative that tells […]
Santo Domingo

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