Review: The Gold Museum, Bogotá

You don’t have to be a gold bug or currency nerd to appreciate The Gold Museum in Bogotá, Colombia. Ranked one of the top attractions in the city, The Gold Museum houses approximately 55,000 pieces and sees about 500,000 tourists go through its doors annually.

Gold played a significant role in Colombia’s history, from pre-Columbian times when gold was used as an offering to the gods to modern-day mining projects and mineral industry. The exhibits focus on gold in the pre-Columbian era, and admittedly can get a bit overwhelming with the volume of information: But take in what interests you and scan the rest.

A photo posted by Diana Suárez Díaz (@dianamarsua) on Jul 23, 2016 at 4:08pm PDT

Remodeled in 2008, the exhibits are comprised of four galleries: The Working of Metals, People and Gold in Pre-Hispanic Colombia, Cosmology and Symbolism and The Offering. The latter exhibit is the most interesting, using an elaborate light and sound presentation to give visitors a glimpse into what a shamanic ceremony would be like. So, aspiring shamans (of which there seems to be more and more, with the booming Ayahuasca trade), take note. The gold objects displayed would have been be part of elaborate ceremonies, which often involved throwing offerings in the Laguna de Guatavita (Guatavita Lake), the same lake featured in the El Dorado legend.

A photo posted by Marta and Jandirk (@in_search_of_umami) on Oct 1, 2016 at 11:55am PDT

The Gold Museum, open Tuesday to Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., located in Santander Park, on the corner of Carrera 5 and 16th Street. If you are feeling especially regal and resplendent after your visit to the Gold Museum, a simple stroll across the park will take you to the doors of the Emerald Museum.

The Gold Museum

Cra. 6 #1588

Bogotá, Colombia