Top Museums in Nicaragua

Central America’s largest nation has an interesting recent history, and lots of museums that tell its story. Look out for the following cultural establishments.

On the outskirts of Managua, there is a collection of ancient footprints left around 6,000 years ago, as well as a museum explaining their history. Ask a taxi driver to take you to the Huellas de Acahualinca.

The National Museum in the center of the capital is home to a good collection of pre-Columbian artifacts, and a series of exhibitions exploring traditional music, food and folklore. It’s a good one-stop shop for those who would like to understand Nicaragua better. In Granada, the Antiguo Convento San Francisco also boasts a collection of pre-Columbian statues.

Over in Leon, there are a number of great museums. The first is the Museo de la Revolución, which tells the story of the revolutionaries that fought against the Somoza dictatorship. Housing it inside a former Somoza prison only adds to the weight of the exhibits.

Elsewhere in the city is the Museo de Leyendas y Tradiciones, which informs visitors about Nicaraguan folk traditions. It too is housed inside a former prison, and exhibits are intertwined with reminders of the building’s grim past.

Revolutionary hero Augusto Cesar Sandino also has his own museum in his hometown of Niquinohomo. It’s a good spot to pop into, but there is little else to keep you in town for too long.