Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Santo Domingo

Museum · Oaxaca City

Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Santo Domingo

Museum · Oaxaca City

1a. Cerrada de Macedonio Alcala s/n, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico

Highlights

Nestled in a stunning 17th-century convent, this cultural gem features breathtaking views and a treasure trove of archaeological wonders.

1a. Cerrada de Macedonio Alcala s/n, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico Get directions

sic.gob.mx

@travelleisure

"The Museo de las Culturas features 14 rooms that tell the story of Oaxaca's history." - Travel + Leisure Editors

20 Best Things to Do in Oaxaca

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@afar

"Take a Walk Through Oaxaca's History Housed in the former Dominican convent of Santo Domingo, the museum of Oaxacan cultures offers a glimpse at the state's history from ancient times through the colonial period, and into the modern day. The building was beautifully restored and opened to the public in 1998. You should go in even if just to see the interior of this stunning building, but the exhibits are also excellent. The highlight of this museum is the Treasure of Tomb 7, an offering that was found in a tomb at Monte Alban archaeological site. This is the greatest treasure ever found in Mesoamerica, and contains exquisitely crafted gold jewelry, as well as precious stone, intricately carved bone and more."

Oaxaca's Ancient Civilizations

View Postcard for Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Santo Domingo

@afar

Oaxaca Museums

View Postcard for Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Santo Domingo

@afar

A Perfect Day in Oaxaca

View Postcard for Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Santo Domingo

Gus Gilder

Google

I don’t visit a great number of museums but I'm so glad I took the time to see this one. It's worth seeing just for the beautiful building itself, but some of the exhibits are stunning. You see amazing external views as well, including the botanical gardens. And all for just US $5.

Dave Littlejohn

Google

Everything, including the building is first class. But as the archeologist who discovered and excavated the tomb on Monte Alban in 1932 said in the museum video, the treasures now in this museum are the best in all of Latin America. I have visited many museums in Latin America. They are easily the best I have seen.

Heidi Snemyr

Google

Loved this museum. Spent 2,5h here and enjoyed every second. Impressive treasures from the Monte Alban are displayed, but also the building in itself is impressive as well of the rest of the exhibition. A must when staying in the city.

Trie Hall

Google

Very beautiful museum with interesting collections. Stunning architecture and views (stopping for a moment to look outside over the ethnobotanical gardens is a great way to get a little breeze on a hot day and enjoy a wonderful sight). When I visited, there was some construction/renovation going on, which meant some areas were closed, but I still very much enjoyed my visit. I found this to be an informative yet engaging museum and highly recommend. They do also have complimentary secure lockers to store your belongings while visiting, which comes in handy if you are enjoying a full day out and have a bag with you.

Shayna Breslin

Google

The indigenous history and archeological discoveries revealed in this beautiful space for a museum are fascinating treasures and fired my imagination about the great societies that left them behind for us to discover.

Paula Gonzalez

Google

This museum is such a treat and a must for tourists. I suggest visiting Monte Alban ruins first as you will appreciate the collection of ruins from Tomb 7 much more. Another spectacular highlight of the museum is its views of the Jardín Etnobotanico and Oaxaca. On a hot day it’s a great thing to do as it’s a nice cool place to roam around at your leisure. The day we visited there was an excellent exhibition of pottery and the origin of the alejibres (colourful fantasy animals that you see everywhere in Oaxaca).

Melissa Cooper

Google

Wonderful exhibition and an amazing building to spend quality time in. Stunning views of the gardens, mountains and plenty of places to sit and take it all in.

Marsha McCullough

Google

Amazing place! Beautiful building with really nice exhibits. Could spend hours here!!

James V.

Yelp

Gorgeous museum showcasing history in Oaxaca, from the indigenous Zapotec era through the Spanish colonization. The architecture is stunning and spacious. The exhibits are super organized and clean. Highly recommended and well worth the $5 admission fee. Clean restrooms as well.

Julia V.

Yelp

Splendid in every way--a magnificent 16th century Baroque building, extraordinary views of gardens from the windows, breath-taking exhibits, including the permanent exhibit of the precious objects found in Tomb 7 at Monte Alban and a temporary textile exhibit of the work of Elena Martinez Bolio, a Yucatecan embroiderer, painter, weaver, and seamstress. She says her work is an homage to both traditional wisdom and new expressions. You can spend hours in these lovely, cool rooms.

Chris A.

Yelp

If you're looking to learn and see all the beauty that Oaxaca has to offer this place is worth spending time in! I am so sad I didn't have a lot of time due to a dinner reservation but I'd definitely come back. So much rich Oaxacan history and beauty! From the adorning ornamentation used to decorate and the beautiful paintings on the walls, long hallways, modern exhibitions, to the views from each window, the central courtyard, and the adjoining botanical garden (separate entrance). I seriously was awestruck everywhere I looked.

Osula L.

Yelp

Walked here on a Thursday afternoon in early July 2023. There was a line when we got there. Google maps says it closes at 3pm but the staff said it closes at 5pm. The facility was very beautiful. There weren't that many displays but the grounds were nice to walk around in. The gardens around the museum were gorgeous. It was a nice change in pace to the city. Make sure you use the restroom before leaving because if you leave you will not be able to get back into the building without a ticket. There is a paid restroom near the Oxxo across the street diagonally. It costs MX$10 but the machine provides change for bills up to MX$50. They also have free bag storage for all guests. Probably why the line was moving so slow to get into the museum. The museum does not have any kind of cafe or food sold.

Alexis B.

Yelp

If you're visiting the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzman, don't miss this great museum (housed in the former convent connected to the church). It's beautiful (amazing architecture, great views of the botanic gardens and the mountains surrounding Oaxaca) and houses a great collection of pre-Columban artifacts (many from nearby Monte Alban). There are large signs that provide English translation of all historical plaques in each room, so don't worry if your Spanish isn't great. We spent more time here than I had anticipated, and I wish we'd had more! It's a great museum, don't miss it when you're exploring Oaxaca!

Oren P.

Yelp

The museum is inside a former convent. The entrance is to the left side of what seems like an active church - so don't get confused. No water is allowed inside. Admission is 90 Pesos - except on Sundays for local Mexicans with ID. There are various exhibits on different levels - with tickets scanned to enter the upper one. I actually thought the lower exhibit about dogs was more interesting - but it is only in Spanish. There is some signage in English in the upper exhibits - but not everywhere. The gardens are entered though a separate entrance outside. A gift shop is located near the entrance. There is no charge to use any of the restrooms. There are MANY uniformed police patrolling inside. Taking photographs is discouraged. There are optional paid selfie areas on the second level.

Jamie A.

Yelp

This museum was on the majority of To Do lists for Oaxaca. Culture museums can be hit or miss, but it was sweltering hot out and my husband and I needed a break from walking in the intense sun. We paid the 70 pesos and said "no thank you" to some guides offering their services at the entryway. If you speak/read Spanish you prob won't need a guide as the placards are in Spanish. Some areas such as the well-organized Tomb 7 exhibition have explanations written in both English in Spanish. There were also a few interactive tablets where you can read about items found in the tomb in Spanish and English. I liked the installment at the bottom floor with the jade and explanation of its use in burials. (The famous jade skull is located within the Tomb 7 exhibit). From the minute my husband and I set foot inside, we were both really impressed with the architecture and enjoyed learning about the history of the Oaxacan state. There was information about everything including textiles/clothing, food, art, and religion relating to pre-hispanic and up to modern culture. It was our first time in Oaxaca and everything we learned at the Museo de las Culturas set us up for a strong understanding of what we viewed throughout our trip and at the Monte Alban ruins the next day. Other: - entrance is to the left of the Templo de Santo Domingo - housed in a former Dominican convent - you can easily spend 3 hours in here, wear your walking shoes and if you get lost in the hallways - it is the usual!

Rebekah T.

Yelp

Beautifully historic and grand museum in Oaxaca that shares a lot of the cultural history of Oaxaca. The collection of art is vast and you can spend nearly 3-4 hours viewing. We decided to skip the scheduled tour and guide ourselves through this gorgeous structure, which was once the old convent of the Dominican order, next to the church of Santo Domingo. We visited the museum after the tour of Monte Alban, so we were able to see all of the collections of 14th Century items. The exhibit rooms contain displays from the stone era of hunters and gatherers, the first agricultural plants, early ceramics, the great treasure discovered in Tomb 7 of Monte Alban, to the recent renovation of the structure a few years ago. Being a fan of architecture, the historic old building blew me away. All of the details from the hallways, windows, the history and rich culture of Oaxaca. Great place to visit.

Clare H.

Yelp

Interesting museum about some of the culture and history. Zapotec, Mixtec and the spiritual and cultural history dogs have in México. If you're visiting Monte Albán this is a perfect accompaniment as many of the artifacts are from Tomb 7. It ties it all together. There are limited signs with English translations so could be worth having a tour guide with you. You can see the botanical gardens from the windows too.

Martin R.

Yelp

A must-visit in Oaxaca both for the objects it holds that span the history of the area from early cultures a thousand years BC, through the Spanish colonization. And the grandiose building, a restored convent, is alone worth the visit.

@travelleisure

"The Museo de las Culturas features 14 rooms that tell the story of Oaxaca's history." - Travel + Leisure Editors

20 Best Things to Do in Oaxaca

View Postcard for Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Santo Domingo

@afar

Oaxaca's Ancient Civilizations

View Postcard for Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Santo Domingo

@afar

Oaxaca Museums

View Postcard for Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Santo Domingo

@afar

A Perfect Day in Oaxaca

View Postcard for Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Santo Domingo

Gus Gilder

Google

Dave Littlejohn

Google

Heidi Snemyr

Google

Trie Hall

Google

Shayna Breslin

Google

Paula Gonzalez

Google

Melissa Cooper

Google

Wonderful exhibition and an amazing building to spend quality time in. Stunning views of the gardens, mountains and plenty of places to sit and take it all in.

Marsha McCullough

Google

Amazing place! Beautiful building with really nice exhibits. Could spend hours here!!

James V.

Yelp

Julia V.

Yelp

Chris A.

Yelp

Osula L.

Yelp

Alexis B.

Yelp

Oren P.

Yelp

Jamie A.

Yelp

Rebekah T.

Yelp

Clare H.

Yelp

Martin R.

Yelp