Museums » Art

Centro de Artes Populares
( San Juan , Puerto Rico )

This restored colonial building houses the Popular Arts Center of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena. Three galleries hold changing exhibitions of works by Puerto Rican artisans. There is also a shop on the premises that offers a diverse selection of crafts, ranging from traditional Puerto Rican musical instruments, such as the cuatro, to santos , the carved wooden saints for which the island is famous. Jewelry, straw hats, pottery, furniture, sculptures, rugs and prints of typical Puerto Rican life round out the inventory.
253 Calle Cristo
Old San Juan
1/787/723-1773
Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm
Free admission

El Arsenal de la Marina
( San Juan , Puerto Rico )

Built by the Spanish in 1800, El Arsenal was an important link in the colony's system of defense. It was the last Spanish stronghold to fall in the war of 1898, before the island was surrendered to the United States . The building is now a major art museum, housing changing exhibitions of works by Puerto Rican and other Latin American artists.
Calle de la Puntilla
Old San Juan
1/787/724-5949
Wed-Sun 8:30am-4:30pm
Free admission

Galeria Liga de Arte
( San Juan , Puerto Rico )

A nonprofit art school for children and adults offering different courses year round, this Old San Juan community center is also a gallery featuring changing exhibits by local professional artists. It is located across the street from the Iglesia San Jose.
1 Calle Beneficiencia
Old San Juan
1/787/722-4468
Mon-Sat 9am-4pm

Museo de Arte e Historia
( San Juan , Puerto Rico )

Built in 1855, this historic museum building was once a thriving marketplace. It now serves as a cultural center that houses an art gallery for the works of the island's artists. The large courtyard hosts various cultural events such as traditional music concerts. There is also an audio-visual presentation that chronicles Puerto Rico 's history.
150 Calle Norzagaray
Old San Juan
1/787/724-1875
Mon-Fri 10am-4pm
Free admission

Museo de la Universidad de Puerto Rico
( San Juan , Puerto Rico )

The museum houses a very strong collection of Puerto Rican and other American art, along with fine exhibits on pre-Columbian civilizations. Native sons Francisco Oller and Jose Campeche are especially well represented. Mon-Wed, Fri 9am-4:30pm; Thu 9am-9pm; Sat 9am-3pm.
Rio Piedras
1/787/764-0000
Free admission

Museums » Cultural

Casa Blanca
( San Juan , Puerto Rico )

Overlooking Old San Juan, the White House stands on a parcel of land given to Juan Ponce de Leon by the Spanish Crown as a reward for his faithful service. The explorer who sought the fountain of youth was killed the same year that the mansion was built, but his descendants occupied the house for two and a half centuries thereafter. Renovated in 1991 by the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena, the building now houses two museums: the Museo de la Casa Blanca and the Museo Etno-Historico. The first is a re-creation of the Ponce de Leon family's domestic surroundings during the 18th and 19th centuries, and the second is dedicated to the examination of the culture of the indigenous Taino people of Puerto Rico .
1 Calle San Sebastian
Old San Juan
1/787/724-4102
Tue-Sat 9am-noon, 1-4:30pm
Adults $2, children $1

Casa de los Contrafuertes
( San Juan , Puerto Rico )

This building is known as the Buttress House because wide exterior buttresses support the wall next to the plaza. Today, it is home to three different museums. Two are administered by the Instituto de la Cultura Puertorriquena: the Museo de la Farmacia ( Pharmacy Museum ) and the Museo de Grabados Latinoamericanos ( Museum of Latin American Prints ). The Pharmacy Museum holds a complete replica of a 19th-century apothecary's shop, and the Museo de Grabados has a good collection of original prints and engravings by Latin American artists. The Museo Casals is housed in another part of the same building. Here, the Casals Foundation has preserved the legacy of the Spanish cellist. The Pharmacy Museum and the Print Museum , tel. 724-5477, are open Tue-Sat 8:30am-4:30pm and both have free admission. The Casals Museum , tel. 723-9185, is open Tue-Sat 9:30am-5:30pm. Admission is $1 for adults and 50 cents for children.
101 San Sebastian
Old San Juan
1/787/724-5477

Casa del Libro
( San Juan , Puerto Rico )

A fine collection of rare and precious books, many of them masterpieces from the Middle Ages, are displayed in this museum and library. It is housed in a charming 18th-century building.
255 Calle Cristo
Old San Juan
1/787/723-0354
Tue-Sat 11am-4:30pm
Free admission; donation accepted

Museo Felisa Rincon de Gautier
( San Juan , Puerto Rico )

This colonial building was once the home of Felisa Rincon de Gautier, the dynamic mayor of San Juan from 1946 to 1968. Memorabilia from the mayor's life, such as plaques, correspondence and furniture, are on display. Tours are available in English and Spanish, and include a video detailing the life of this extraordinary woman.
51 Caleta de San Juan
1/787/723-1897
Mon-Fri 9am-4pm
Free admission

Museo Pablo Casals
( San Juan , Puerto Rico )

Every inch of space in this small private museum is devoted to the life and work of Pablo Casals, the Spanish cellist who moved to Old San Juan in 1956 and lived the remainder of his life here. Highlights include his collection of cellos, notes from his speeches to the United Nations on behalf of the cause of freedom in Spain , and videotapes of his performances that are shown upon request.
101 San Sebastian
Old San Juan
1/787/723-9185
Tue-Sat 9:30am-5:30pm
Adults $1, children 50 cents

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