Museo Nacional de Costa Rica

Emi Olmstead

During our first official day in Costa Rica, we toured the National Museum of San Jose. When we walked up to the building, our eyes were met with a bright yellow building, the Costa Rica flag directly in the middle, blowing in the wind. 

Stepping inside the building, we walked through a butterfly garden, the first of many we would see throughout our time in Costa Rica. I found it so interesting that in the midst of a National Museum, a place that’s filled with history and relics of the past, the entrance is of alive and fluttering insects. I think that it speaks to how much Costa Rica values its nature and preserving it. Not only was it full of over 12 different species of mariposas (butterflies), but also of different plant life and trees. 

Moving from the butterfly garden, we walked up a ramp to an open area that led to more buildings, where the exhibits started. Our tour guide, the amazing Jorge Mario, gave us a brief history about the National Museum. For example, the Museum houses samples of archaeological, historical, and natural wonders of the country of Costa Rica from pre-Columbian times to the present. We moved inside after our brief history lecture from Jorge, and saw the earliest artifacts that the Museum had to offer. 

Unfortunately, we had gotten there later than we planned, so our exploration was cut extremely short, and we left about 15 minutes after we got to the exhibition. But, from the short time we had there, the limited things we saw, and the brief talk we got from our tour guide, I think it was still an enjoyable experience. I still walked out of the Museum feeling like I learned something, and feeling confident enough to talk about my experience there if someone were to ask me what I did there. I wish I could have learned more about the history of the beautiful country that is Costa Rica, but it was an amazing encounter that I thoroughly enjoyed.