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Museum · Puerto Plata, Puerto Plata
Museo del Ámbar Dominicano
A museum in a Victorian house in downtown Puerto Plata dedicated to Dominican amber, with pieces that preserve insects, plants and even small animals trapped millions of years ago.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About Museo del Ámbar Dominicano
The Dominican Amber Museum occupies a Victorian-style house in downtown Puerto Plata, a few steps from Parque Central. It is dedicated to amber, the fossilized resin of ancient trees found in the mountains of the Cordillera Septentrional, between Puerto Plata and Santiago, which gave the region the name Costa Ámbar.
The collection displays amber pieces with inclusions, that is, organisms trapped inside the resin before it hardened: mosquitoes, ants, spiders, leaves, flowers and, in rare cases, small lizards. Dominican amber is known for its transparency and its range of colors, from yellow to red and even blue, the latter rarer.
The museum explains how amber forms, how it is extracted from the mines and how to distinguish genuine pieces from imitations. On the ground floor, shops sell amber and larimar jewelry, the blue stone found only in the Dominican Republic.
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
About an hour.
Best time
Good around midday, when the sun is strong, or for a rainy afternoon.
How to get there
It is on Duarte street, in downtown Puerto Plata, about two blocks from Parque Central. Within walking distance from any point of the historic center.
Tip
Before buying amber in street shops, see at the museum how to recognize authentic pieces. Take the opportunity to stroll around the center and see the wooden Victorian houses.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Museo del Ámbar Dominicano
What is Dominican amber?
Fossilized resin from ancient trees, found in the country’s northern mountains, often with insects and plants trapped inside.
What is larimar?
A light-blue stone found only in the Dominican Republic, sold in jewelry alongside amber.
Is the Amber Museum in the center?
Yes, near Parque Central, in a Victorian house.