Best museums to visit in Bogotá

These are the best museums to visit in Bogotá, according to Tripadvisor's Travelers' Choice awards

With a collection of more than 50 thousand historical pieces, the Museo del Oro is one of the most attractive cultural institutions for travelers who come to the country's capital.
Bogotá is one of the Latin American capitals with the most museums. There are 60 institutions dedicated to the acquisition, conservation and exhibition of the most representative cultural objects of Colombia. They can be collections of pre-Columbian art, a sculpture by the master Fernando Botero or the iconic silkscreen of Colombia with Coca-Cola letters by the artist Antonio Caro. In the capital, art is always alive.
The tourist platform Tripadvisor included the Botero Museum, the Museo del Oro and the network of museums of the Banco de la República among the winners of its Travelers' Choice award for "The Best of the Best" among the best tourist plans worldwide. According to the platform, these institutions receive the best travel reviews and rank among the most popular in the world.

“Bogotá’s museums are a window to our history and culture, and their worldwide recognition reflects the effort to preserve and share our heritage. We are proud that three of our museums have been highlighted among the best tourist attractions in the world by TripAdvisor,” said Andrés Santamaría, director of Tourism of Bogotá.
The “Best of the Best” award is Tripadvisor’s highest distinction, followed by the standard Travellers’ Choice that brings together destinations and tourist plans in the world that did not make the cut.

“It takes into account the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings from travelers, and classifies the best accommodations, destinations, beaches, attractions, restaurants, airlines and experiences according to the ratings and opinions of travelers. The winners of this award are among the 1% of the best profiles on the platform,” explained Tripadvisor.

In addition, the Tripadvisor list positioned Bogotá as one of the 25 destinations that set trends in the world and as the first in South America. The award winners are chosen based on the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings posted by travelers over a 12-month period.
“It is very important for a city like Bogotá, which is betting on tourism as an engine of economic development and a generator of social transformation, that platforms like Tripadvisor grant these recognitions. This speaks highly of the diversity we have to offer our visitors. The most valuable thing is that it is the travelers themselves who give these ratings,” added Santamaría.

For its part, the Gold Museum has a collection of more than 50 thousand historical pieces. Its collection has focused on processes associated with the pre-Hispanic metallurgical traditions of Colombian territory. It was founded in 1939, opened in 1959, and receives more than 500 thousand visitors each year. “Of the total collection, which today comprises nearly 54,000 objects, 65% are made of goldsmithing, followed by those made of other materials such as ceramics (26%), stone (6%) and those made of shell, wood and plant and animal fibres (3%),” explained the Banco de la República.

Among the objects that stand out the most are the Poporo Quimbaya, a type of container used by indigenous people to store the lime used in chewing coca leaves, and the Muisca raft, a piece of goldsmithing located in the Cundiboyacense plateau and frequently associated with the legend of El Dorado.
In 2018, the Gold Museum was recognised by National Geographic as one of the best history museums in the world, along with places such as the Auschwitz Museum in Poland and the Louvre Museum in France.

Located in La Candelaria, the Botero Museum has a collection of 208 works by the Colombian artist Fernando Botero, of which 123 are his own creations and 85 belong to international artists. Monalisa by Fernando Botero, The Red Disk Chasing the Lark by Joan Miró or Arles: The Ring in Front of the Rhône by Pablo Picasso are some of the most important pieces in its collection.
“This donation, made in 2000, had the purpose of bringing art closer to the population of Colombia. The Botero Museum collection is considered one of the most important of modern art in Latin America and stands out for its diversity and quality. In addition, the museum offers educational programs such as guided tours and workshops, which makes this space something more than a museum,” said the Mayor of Bogotá.

Finally, the Museum of the Bank of the Republic integrates the Miguel Ángel Urrutia Museum (Mamu) and the Mint, two museum epicenters that have told the history of Colombia from different perspectives
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