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San
Jose Museums, Theatres, Parks, Zoo & Other Attractions
Museums
of San Jose:
Costa Rican Art Museum:
Opened in 1977 and with the goal to have a permanent display
of works created by Costa Rican artists during the 19th
and 20th centuries. The building which houses this museum
formerly was the Costa Rica International Airport and is
located in the Sabana Metropolitan Park. Museum is open
from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesday thru Sunday.
National Gallery of Contemporary Art:
Located on the west side of the National Library, just across
from the National Park in downtown San Jose. The gallery
opens from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday thru Saturday.
National Museum: On display is pre-Columbian art, documents
and other objects of cultural and historic significance.
And which include exhibits of Costa Rican History, Archeology,
Geology and Colonial Life. The national museum opens from
8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesday thru Sunday.
Children¹s Museum:
This museum is located in the old penitentiary, and resembles
a castle. Inside there are 34 rooms, all with different
themes. Guided tours are offered weekdays 9-12 and 1:30-5,
and weekends 10-1 and 2-5. Buy tickets a day in advance
Entomological Museum:
The University of Costa Rica presents this extensive display
of insect life of Costa Rica . Located in the basement ,
at the School of Music, University Campus , San Pedro de
Montes de Oca. Open from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Monday thru
Friday.
Legal Science Museum:
Located in the OIJ building , this museum displays portraits
and items related to the Legal Sciences and the Supreme
Court. Open from 7:00 and to 11:00 am & 1:00 pm to 5:30
pm, Monday thru Friday.
Fidel Tristán Jade Museum:
This museum is located on the 11th floor of the National
Insurance Institute in downtown San Jose and offers stunning
views of the central valley .This is the best Jade Collection
in Costa Rica, with the addition of ceramics, stone and
gold miniatures. Open from 9:00 to 3:00 pm, Monday thru
Friday.
Museum of Natural Sciences:
Know to be among the most comprehensive collection in the
world : it has been divided in four areas: Paleontology,
Archaeology, Zoology and Malancology (mollusks). Located
southwest of La Sabana Metropolitan Park and administered
by the Ministry Agriculture. Open from 8:00 to 3:00 pm,
Monday thru Friday.
Gold Museum:
This is the second largest collection of pre-columbian gold
objects in the word and is owned by The National Bank of
Costa Rica. This is a permanent exhibit of over 20,000 troy
ounces of pre-Columbian gold figures. Located under the
Plaza de la Cultura and is open from 9:00 to 4:30 pm, Monday
thru Friday.
Teatro Nacional (National Theater)
Truly a national treasure and unquestionably the nation's
most impressive architectural showpiece, the National Theater
is a study in harmony and regal splendor and is justifiably
a source of national pride.
The theater was conceived in 1890 when a European opera
company featuring the prima donna Adelina Patti toured Central
America but was unable to perform in Costa Rica because
there was no suitable theater. The ruling cafelateros (coffee
barons) voted a tax on coffee exports to fund construction
of a theater, and artisans from Europe were imported. The
theater was inaugurated on 19 October 1897 with a performance
of Faust by the Paris Opera and its ballet corps.
Outside, the classical Renaissance façade is topped by statues
symbolizing Dance, Music, and Fame. Inside, the pink marble
foyer features allegorical figures of Comedy and Tragedy,
beautiful murals depicting themes in Costa Rican life and
commerce, and a triptych ceiling supported by marble columns
topped with bronze capitals.
Art and good taste are lavishly displayed on the marble
staircase, with its gold-laminated ornaments sparkling beneath
bronze chandeliers. A grandiose rotunda‹painted in Milan
in 1897 by Arturo Fontana‹highlights the three-story auditorium,
designed in a perfect horseshoe and seating 1,040. The ceiling
fresco depicts celestial deities surrounding a giant crystal
chandelier.
The theater has magnificent frescoes; much of the mahogany
furniture is gold-leaf, and the floor is fashioned in local
hardwoods. The auditorium floor was designed to be raised
to stage level by a manual winch so that the theater could
be used as a ballroom. Downstairs, to the left of the entrance
foyer, is a beautiful coffee shop and art gallery.
You can buy tickets for performances at a ticket booth next
to the entrance Josefinos treat a night at the National
Theater as a distinguished social occasion, so dress accordingly.
Guided tours are offered and Recommended.
Plaza de la Cultura (On the south side of the plaza, on
Av. 2 between calles 3 and 5) San Jose Costa Rica
Telephone: +506 221-1329
Fax: +506 223-4990
Teatro Melico Salazar (Melico Salazar Theater)
Dating from the 1920s, this unprepossessing theater has
a quaint appeal. It's no contender to La Scala, but its
fluted Corinthian columns, high balconies, and gilding provide
a study in understated period detail. Symphony season normally
runs April through October.
National Symphony Orchestra
April through December is the season for the National Symphony
Orchestra, which performs at the Teatro National on Thursday
and Friday (8 PM) and Sunday morning (10:30 AM). The price
range varies widely: You can hobnob with café society at
the symphony or opera for a few hundred colones or spend
ten times that for the best seats.
Av. 2 between calles 3 and 5 (At the Teatro National on
the south side of Plaza de la Cultura) San Jose Costa Rica
Telephone: +506 236-5396
El
Pueblo.
This commercial center on the North side of the Rio Torres
is a dining and shopping area built to resemble a Spanish
colonial pueblo. Here you will find all kinds of crafts,
art galleries, and restaurants that serve comida típica.
We have been alerted that cabs often overcharge tourists
leaving this area. Agree on a price before you leave El
Pueblo.
Parks
San Jose Parque Central (Central Park)
In colonial days this was San José's main plaza and market
square. Today this small park is popular with Josefinos
who congregate beneath the looming palms. In 1993 about
C71,870,000 was lavished to turn this previously grungy
eyesore into a delightful landscaped gem, replete with fountain,
bronze statue, hardwood sculptures, and venerable guachipelín,
guanacaste, and higueron trees. At its center is a raised
platform with a large domed structure supported by arches
where the municipal band plays concerts on Sunday. The bandstand
is a bit of an ugly duckling, and a recent referendum was
taken on whether to tear it down. Fortunately, it lived
to see another day and today stands proudly in the center
of this urban jewel. Hunkered beneath the bandstand is the
Carmen Lyra Children's Library (named after a Costa Rican
writer famous for her children's stories). (Between calles
Central/2 and avenidas 2/4) San Jose Costa Rica
Parque Nacional (National Park)
The largest and most peaceful of the city's central parks
graces a gentle hill that rises to the south of the National
Library, between calles 15/19 and avenidas 1/3. At the park's
center, under towering, shady trees, is the massive National
Monument, one of several statues commemorating the War of
1856. Like several other San José edifices, the monument
originated in France: It was made in the Rodin studios.
On Parque Nacional's southwestern corner is a statue of
Juan Santamaría, the national hero. (Between calles 15/19
and avenidas 1/3) San Jose Costa Rica
Parque Sabana (Sabana Park)
The only park of any real scale in San José, this favorite
weekend getaway for Josefinos used to be the national airport
(the old terminal now houses the Museo de Arte Costarricense).
Today, it's a focus for sports and recreation and one of
the few places within San José where you may jog without
being hassled by traffic. Sabana Park contains both the
Estadio Nacional (on the northwest corner) and the National
Gymnasium (southeast corner), which features an Olympic-size
swimming pool. There are also basketball, tennis, and volleyball
courts, a baseball diamond, a soccer field, and tree-lined
paths for jogging and walking. Even fishing folks are catered
to A small lake on the south side is stocked with fish,
and fishing is permitted. And a small hill has been piled
up from Sabana (Flatlands) for kite flyers. The park entrance
is at the end of Paseo Colón. Take the Sabana-Cementerio
bus, which leaves from Calle 7 and Avenida Central.
Catedral Metropolitan (Metropolitan Cathedral)
Dominating the east side of Parque Central is the city's
main cathedral: whitewashed, with a blue domed roof more
reminiscent of a Greek Orthodox church than a Catholic cathedral.
The original cathedral was toppled by an earthquake in 1821;
the current edifice dates from 1871. Inside and out it's
a statement in modesty. The interior is relatively unremarkable,
barring its lofty barrel-arched ceiling, and there is little
of the ostentatious baroque influence found in cathedrals
elsewhere on the continent. Tucked neatly in its shadow
to the south is the marvelously mellowed Archbishop's Palace,
dating from the 18th century.
Mercado Central (Central Market)
San José's most colorful and authentically Central American
offering is the Central Market. While it lacks the native
quality of, say, Guatemalan markets, it's heavy on atmosphere
nonetheless. Everything but the kitchen sink seems on offer:
baskets, flowers, hammocks, spices, meats, vegetables, souvenirs.
There are fish booths selling octopus, dorado, and shrimp;
butchers' booths with oxtails and pigs' heads on display;
flower stalls; saddle shops; and booths selling medicinal
herbs guaranteed to cure everything from sterility to common
colds. Outside, street hawkers call out their wares sold
from brightly colored barrows. The market is a good place
to order olla de carne, a steaming beef-and-vegetable stew,
from a bustling soda (food stall). Remember, pickpockets
thrive in crowded places, so watch your valuables. Av. Central
& Av. 1 and Between Calles 6 & 8
Parque Zoologico Simón Bolívar (Simon Bolivar Zoo)
A 660-million colones fund-raising and five-stage zoo reconstruction
project began here in mid-1992, aided by private donations
from individuals and major corporations led by McDonald's.
Friends of the Zoo and Adopt an Animal programs were initiated
in 1993, sponsored by Costa Rica Today with the aim of collecting
money to improve conditions. Consequently, the zoo (founded
in 1916) is becoming more of an educational and aesthetic
experience. A nature center opened in 1994, containing a
video room, library, and work area for schoolchildren. The
amphibians and reptiles recently received a new home, the
Joyeros del Bosque Húmedos, designed by the Baltimore Aquarium.
The current zoo is gradually being turned into a national
exhibition and visitor center with re-creations of Costa
Rica's various ecosystems.
The relatively small number of Costa Rican species on display
includes spider and capuchin monkeys, most of the indigenous
cats, plus a small variety of birds, including toucans and
tame macaws. The zoo's finest exhibits, surprisingly, are
a male lion and a handsome Bengal tiger (neither native
to Costa Rica). C. 7 and Av. 11 (Turn right at Av. 11 and
follow the curving road.)
San Jose Costa Rica
Telephone: +506 233-6701
Days Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Weekends
ENTERTAINMENT / ACTIVITIES
Casinos
Gambling is second only to soccer as a national pastime.
There are many casinos to chose from in San José. The most
popular in central San José are the Aurola Casino on the
17th floor of the Holiday Inn, arount the corner from the
Hotel Santo Tomas , the Gran Casino located in the lobby
of the Gran Hotel de Costa Rica, the Club Colonial .
Movie Theaters
Although movies get to Costa Rica months after they premier
in the United States, movies are generally shown in English
with Spanish subtitles, making them both educational and
easy to follow for the English speaking traveler. If you
want a break from San José¹s sometimes rushed pace, sit
back in the cool AC and enjoy a flick.
In San José
Bellavista: 221-0909 A. Central, C. 17-19 Colón: 221-4517
Centro Colón, Paseo Colón
Laurence Olivier: 222-1034 A.2, C. 28
Magaly: 223-0085 A. Central-1, C. 23
Omni: 221-7903 A. Central-1, C. 3
Rex: 221-0041 A. 6-8, C. Central
Sala Garbo: 222-1034 A. 2, C. 28
Mall San Pedro: 283-5716 San Pedro
Variedades: 222-6107 A. Central-1, C. 5
Serpentario
If you don't intend to venture into the wilds, this is the
place to get a close-up look at some of Costa Rica's most
colorful reptiles. The small but interesting collection
is quite impressive. The displays include poison-arrow frogs,
iguanas, and Costa Rica's most feared poisonous species
safely on view behind glass cages. After seeing the nasty
forearm-thick fer-de-lance, you may lose your taste for
venturing into the jungle. Signs are offered in English
for some exhibits, others only in Spanish. Radamida Building
(On the 2nd floor above the El Gran Chaparral restaurant,
calles 9/11 and Av. 1) San Jose Costa Rica
Telephone: +506 255-4210
Spirogyra Butterfly Garden
Butterfly lovers no longer have to venture beyond San José
to see butterflies in their natural setting. Bilingual tours
are offered every half-hour by biologist Javier Baltodano,
or you can opt for a 30-minute self-guided tour. More than
30 species flutter about in the large garden, which is sheltered
by a net. In the center is a small waterfall surrounded
by orchids, heliconias, and trees. A separate section houses
cages where eggs and caterpillars develop, protected from
predators. The small natural forest is being protected as
a private botanical garden. (About 100 meters/328 feet east
and 150 meters/492 feet south of the El Pueblo shopping
center. Look for signs from El Pueblo.) San Jose Costa Rica
Telephone: +506 222-2937 Fax: +506 222-2937
Days Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Weekends
Childrens Amusement Park ,Rides & Pueblo Antiguo
This grand attraction, on the western outskirts of San José,
opened in December 1994. The theme park re-creates the locales
and dramatizes the events of Costa Rican history. Buildings
in traditional architectural style include replicas of the
National Liquor Factory, Congressional Building, church,
market, fire station, and the Costa Rican Bank. The place
comes alive with oxcarts, horsedrawn carriages, live music,
traditional dances, and actors dramatizing the past. The
park has three sections: the capital city, the coast (including
a replica of the Tortuguero Canals), and the country (with
original adobe structures moved to the site, including a
sugar mill, coffee mill, and milking barn). The venture
is operated by the Association for the National Children's
Hospital, and profits fund improvements to the hospital.
You can visit craft shops and a restaurant that serves Costa
Rican cuisine. (In La Uruca, about 1 kilometer/a half-mile
east of Hospital México) San Jose Costa Rica Telephone:
+506 231-2011 Fax: +506 231-6529
DINING
There are many great places to eat and drink in San José.
This list is by no means exhaustive.
Downtown
The Green Pig (256-6367) serves up Southern style barbeque.
It's located on Av. 7-9, Ca. 1, and is closed on Mondays.
Manolo's (221-2041) is an atmospheric joint that serves
up great comida tipica. The downstairs menu is more reasonable
than the upstairs menu. Located on Av. Central, Ca. 2.
Antojitos has great Mexican food and 5 locations in San
José. The atmosphere is festive, the food good, and the
prices reasonable. Ask your hotel or cab driver for the
location nearest you.
El Balcón de Europa (221-4841)on Av. Central and Ca. 9 is
famous for its delicious and reasonably priced Italian cuisine.
Spoon is a pastry shop chain that can be found all over
Costa Rica. It serves deserts that are out of this world,
and also serves tasty light lunches.
Café Ruiseñor inside the National Theater is one of the
prettiest places to dine in San José. They have light food
and drinks.
Near Downtown
Café Mundo (222-6190) in Barrio Otoya has an international
menu, a great atmosphere in a historic house, and reasonable
prices. It's located on Av. 9 and Ca. 15.
Lukas (233-8145) is in Commercial Centro El Pueblo. It serves
big steaks, and is open 24 hours. It's a very popular place,
and we recommend making reservations ahead of time. There
are many great restaurants and shops to check out at El
Pueblo. Take a cab, since there is not much parking, and
soak up the atmosphere.
Aserrí
Ram Luna (230-3060) is muy romántico! It has an international
menu, and a breathtaking view of the central valley.
La Tranca (230-3505) has delicious grilled meats and chicharrones.
It's a rustic place with great views.
Restaurants - West of Downtown
Machu Picchu (222-7384) serves Peruvian food. This is a
place that you must try, especially if you are a ceviche
fan. It's 125 meters from Kentucky Fried Chicken on Avenida
Colón.
La Piazetta (222-7896) has scrumptious Italian dishes, but
no pizza! Their risotto with salmon and caviar is a treat!
Also try the filet mignon in white truffle sauce.
Marisqueria La Princesa Marina (232-0481) 150 meters South
of Canal 7 on Sabana Oeste has delicious seafood for those
on a budget.
La Fuente de los Mariscos (231-0631) in Centro Comercial
San José is another great place for top quality seafood.
East of Downtown
Marbella (228-0180) in San Pedro (Centro Comercial de la
Calle Real) specializes in Spanish cuisine. They have many
seafood dishes, as well as beef, chicken, rabbit and pork.
Shiraz in San Pedro specializes in gourmet international
food and wine.
Le Chandelier (225-3980) is located in an old restored Mediterranean
mansion, and is just behind the ICE building in San Pedro.
The menu is French, and the food is out of this world! The
fare is expensive, be forewarned. If you are a connoisseur
of French food we recommend splurging.
Pizzeria II Pomodoro (224-0966) in San Pedro has great pizza.
Off the Beaten Path
The Lone Star Grill (229-7597) in Coronado has true Texas
atmosphere. The air is colder in Coronado, and it's fun
to sit around their fireplace and sip cocktails. The food
is a "Taste of Texas." We recommend the Texas burger.
La Cuenca Steakhouse (292-2344) above Coronado in Patio
de Agua has great chicharrones and veal tacos. Open Wednesday
thru Sunday. Karaoke Friday and Saturday nights.
Cabernet (229-1113) is above Coronado in Rancho Redondo.
This wine bar and French restaurant is in a beautiful old
mansion, and has one of the prettiest views of the central
valley. The service here is impeccable. This place is expensive,
but very romantic!
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