Museo del Oro
Quick Facts
- Location
- Colombia, Bogota
- Category
- Museum
- Duration
- 1.5–2 hours
- Opening Hours
- Monday Closed, holiday Mondays included · Tuesday 09:00-19:00 · Wednesday 09:00-19:00 · Thursday 09:00-19:00 · Friday 09:00-19:00 · Saturday 09:00-19:00 · Sunday 10:00-17:00 · The plan your visit page gives Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 to 19:00 with last entry 18:00, Sundays and public holidays 10:00 to 17:00 with last entry 16:00, and Monday closed every week including holiday Mondays. For 2026 it lists 3 April, 1 May, 31 May for the presidential election, 24 and 25 December plus 31 December and 1 January as closed days, warns of further closures on the closure calendar, notes some halls shut for maintenance and states no advance booking is needed.
- Ticket Price
- Adult: Colombian visitors 10000 pesos, foreign visitors 21000 pesos and resident foreigners 10000 pesos, the same Tuesday to Saturday and on holidays · Student: Students 5000 pesos · Free entry still needs a ticket from the entrance booth, sales are at the door or the inner booth for cash pesos or by debit or credit card, online buying is so far only for foreign visitors, and ID is asked of everyone so the correct rate, discount or exemption applies.
- Address
- Parque de Santander, carrera 6ª con calle 16, Bogotá
- Coordinates
- 4.6019, -74.0721
Introduction
Bogotá's Gold Museum (Museo del Oro) holds the world's richest and most important collection of pre-Columbian gold—Colombia's national-treasure cultural hall and Bogotá's unmissable number-one museum. Founded by the Banco de la República in 1939 to safeguard goldwork scattered among the public, it moved to its present site by Parque Santander in 1968 and opened the modern building designed by architect Germán Samper in 1975. The collection holds more than 34,000 gold and alloy pieces from the Muisca, Quimbaya, Tayrona, Nariño and other indigenous civilizations, plus over 20,000 ceramics, stone, textiles and feather works. Exhibits range from gold masks, chest plaques, nose ornaments, earrings and crowns to animal and human sculptures of breathtaking craftsmanship and imagination, revealing ancient American metallurgy and cosmology. The centrepiece is the Muisca Raft (Balsa Muisca), a gold model under 20 cm that recreates the El Dorado ceremony—a priest gilded and floating an offering—the legend that drove the Spanish conquistadors' frenzied search for gold. On the second floor, the 'Room of Gold' (Sala del Dorado), a darkened mirror-lit chamber, admits only about 25 visitors at a time and requires advance booking—the climax of the whole museum. The permanent galleries unfold around themes such as 'how Andeans understood life, death and nature' and 'the human relation with gold', with glass cases, interactive screens and bilingual Spanish-English labels. Free guided tours and talks help visitors read the cosmology behind the objects, not just admire the gleam. From the terror of colonial plunder to today's pride of national identity, the museum quietly lays out Colombia's turbulent spiritual history through more than 30,000 gold pieces, inside the concrete building beside Parque Santander.
✨ Highlights
🛈 Practical Info
Opening Hours
| Monday | Closed, holiday Mondays included |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 09:00-19:00 |
| Wednesday | 09:00-19:00 |
| Thursday | 09:00-19:00 |
| Friday | 09:00-19:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00-19:00 |
| Sunday | 10:00-17:00 |
The plan your visit page gives Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 to 19:00 with last entry 18:00, Sundays and public holidays 10:00 to 17:00 with last entry 16:00, and Monday closed every week including holiday Mondays. For 2026 it lists 3 April, 1 May, 31 May for the presidential election, 24 and 25 December plus 31 December and 1 January as closed days, warns of further closures on the closure calendar, notes some halls shut for maintenance and states no advance booking is needed.
Ticket Information
| Adult | Colombian visitors 10000 pesos, foreign visitors 21000 pesos and resident foreigners 10000 pesos, the same Tuesday to Saturday and on holidays |
|---|---|
| Student | Students 5000 pesos |
| Child | Under 12 goes free on every open day |
| Senior | From 62 goes free on every open day |
| Free Admission | Every Sunday is free for all, as are indigenous visitors, school groups booked ahead at [email protected], attendees at the museum cultural programme, members of the security forces, Friends of the collections foundation members, the Banco de la República library network, ICOM members, licensed tour guides and visitors with certified disability |
Free entry still needs a ticket from the entrance booth, sales are at the door or the inner booth for cash pesos or by debit or credit card, online buying is so far only for foreign visitors, and ID is asked of everyone so the correct rate, discount or exemption applies.
💡 Tips
FAQ
What are the opening hours of Museo del Oro?
Monday: Closed, holiday Mondays included; Tuesday: 09:00-19:00; Wednesday: 09:00-19:00; Thursday: 09:00-19:00; Friday: 09:00-19:00; Saturday: 09:00-19:00; Sunday: 10:00-17:00; The plan your visit page gives Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 to 19:00 with last entry 18:00, Sundays and public holidays 10:00 to 17:00 with last entry 16:00, and Monday closed every week including holiday Mondays. For 2026 it lists 3 April, 1 May, 31 May for the presidential election, 24 and 25 December plus 31 December and 1 January as closed days, warns of further closures on the closure calendar, notes some halls shut for maintenance and states no advance booking is needed.
How much is the admission for Museo del Oro?
Adult: Colombian visitors 10000 pesos, foreign visitors 21000 pesos and resident foreigners 10000 pesos, the same Tuesday to Saturday and on holidays; Student: Students 5000 pesos; Child: Under 12 goes free on every open day; Senior: From 62 goes free on every open day; Free Admission: Every Sunday is free for all, as are indigenous visitors, school groups booked ahead at [email protected], attendees at the museum cultural programme, members of the security forces, Friends of the collections foundation members, the Banco de la República library network, ICOM members, licensed tour guides and visitors with certified disability; Free entry still needs a ticket from the entrance booth, sales are at the door or the inner booth for cash pesos or by debit or credit card, online buying is so far only for foreign visitors, and ID is asked of everyone so the correct rate, discount or exemption applies.
Any practical tips for visiting Museo del Oro?
The signature 'Muisca Raft' recreates El Dorado—don't miss it. Sunday is free; weekdays are quieter.
How long should I spend at Museo del Oro?
A typical visit takes 1.5–2 hours.
