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Museum · Bogotá, Bogotá, Distrito Capital
Museo del Oro
The museum of the Banco de la República with tens of thousands of gold and metal pieces from Colombia's pre-Hispanic cultures, including the Balsa Muisca, which illustrates the ritual linked to the legend of El Dorado.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Museo del Oro
The Museo del Oro, of the Banco de la República, houses a collection of pre-Hispanic goldsmithing with more than 30,000 pieces of gold and gold-copper alloys, as well as ceramics, stone and textiles. The pieces come from cultures that lived in Colombian territory for over two thousand years: muíscas, taironas, quimbayas, zenus, calimas, tolimas and others. The modern building is located in Parque Santander, downtown.
The exhibition occupies three floors. The first explains how ancient peoples worked metal, from mining to smelting and hammering. The second displays pieces by culture: breastplates, nose ornaments, earrings, human and animal figures, lime containers and the quimbaya poporos. The third deals with the meaning of the pieces, linked to shamanism, cosmology and offerings.
The Balsa Muisca, a small gold raft with human figures, was found in 1969 in a cave in Pasca, Cundinamarca. It is associated with the Laguna de Guatavita ritual, in which the cacique covered in gold dust entered the lagoon on a raft, the origin of the El Dorado legend. At the end of the route, the Sala da Oferenda, dark and circular, gradually lights up and displays hundreds of pieces at once, accompanied by chanting sounds.
Captions are in Spanish and English, and there is an audio guide. The museum has a shop and a café.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
1.5 to 2 hours for the three floors; 3 hours at a relaxed pace with the audio guide.
Best time
Right at opening or mid-afternoon, outside school groups. The museum usually closes on Mondays and has days with free admission; check before you go.
How to get there
At Carrera 6 with Calle 16, in Parque Santander, downtown. The Museo del Oro TransMilenio station is one block away. From the Plaza de Bolívar it's about a 10-minute walk along Carrera Séptima.
Tip
Go from the bottom up: the first floor explains the technique and helps you understand the rest. Leave the Sala da Oferenda for last and wait for the light presentation to start. Combine it the same day with the Museo Botero, about a 10-minute walk away.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Museo del Oro
What is the Balsa Muisca?
A gold piece depicting a raft and human figures, found in 1969 in Pasca, near Bogotá. It represents the ritual of the Laguna de Guatavita that gave rise to the legend of El Dorado.
Does the museum have information in Portuguese?
The labels are in Spanish and English. The audio guide usually offers other languages; ask at the entrance.
How much time should you reserve for the Museo del Oro?
About 2 hours for the three floors and the Offering Room. Those who enjoy archaeology can spend the entire morning.