Frog Pendant. Costa Rica, Chiriqul. 11th-16th century. Cast Gold. Frogs are frequently depicted in the gold work of Costa Rica and Panama,. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG/Getty Images)

UIG via Getty Images

Museo de Oro Precolombino y Numismática

Top choice in San José


This three-in-one museum houses an extensive collection of Costa Rica's most priceless pieces of pre-Columbian gold and other artifacts, including historical currency and some contemporary regional art. The museum, located underneath the Plaza de la Cultura, is owned by the Banco Central and its architecture brings to mind all the warmth and comfort of a bank vault. The interactive 360-degree videography display of Bribrí cultural hierarchy in the basement is worth the admission price alone.

Security is tight; visitors must leave bags at the door.

A three-museum pass (US$33; covers this one, Museo de Jade and Museo Nacional) saves money if you plan to visit all – it has no expiration date.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby San José attractions

1. Plaza de la Cultura

0.01 MILES

This architecturally unremarkable concrete plaza in the heart of downtown is usually packed with locals slurping ice-cream cones and admiring the wide…

2. Teatro Nacional

0.03 MILES

On the southern side of the Plaza de la Cultura resides the Teatro Nacional, San José’s most revered building. Constructed in 1897, it features a columned…

3. Catedral Metropolitana

0.14 MILES

East of Parque Central, the Renaissance-style Catedral Metropolitana was built in 1871 after the previous cathedral was destroyed in an earthquake. The…

4. Parque Morazán

0.17 MILES

Parque Morazán is named for Francisco Morazán, the 19th-century general who attempted to unite the Central American nations under a single flag (for his…

5. Templo de Música

0.17 MILES

Since the 1920s, this large metallic dome perched atop columns in Parque Morazán has sheltered concerts, dance parties and political rallies.

6. Teatro Melico Salazar

0.19 MILES

On the north side of Parque Central is this theatre, which was built in 1928 in a beaux-arts style. It is named after the well-known Costa Rican tenor…

8. Parque Central

0.2 MILES

The city’s central park is more of a run-down plaza than a park. At its center is a grandiose bandstand that looks as if it was designed by Mussolini:…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "costa-rica/san-jose/attractions/museo-de-oro-precolombino-y-numismatica/a/poi-sig/425769/358357",
      "destination": "San-José",
      "continent": "Central-America",
      "country": "Costa-Rica",
      "city": "San-José",
      "position": "superzone"
    }