South America
Ecuador
Pichincha Province
Quito
Things to Do in Quito
National Museum of Ecuador
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National Museum of Ecuador

See all things to do
See all things to do
National Museum of Ecuador
4.5
451 reviews
#22 of 254 things to do in Quito
Speciality Museums • History Museums
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Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
The National Museum recognizes the multiplicity of identities of Ecuadorian society, its permanent transformation and mobility, and seeks to establish itself as a space for participation, dialogue, confrontation and representation in the public sphere. For this end, the Museum establishes a new model of relationship with the public, citizens and the community, that goes beyond specialized audiences.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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The area
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Restaurants
1,336 within 3 miles
Suvlaki
153
0.3 mi$ • Quick Bites • Mediterranean • Greek
Miskay Restaurant
1,018
0.5 mi$$ - $$$ • Latin • Healthy • Ecuadorean
Cacao & Cacao
96
0.3 mi$ • Dessert • Cafe • Ecuadorean
Bai Tam - Viet Sandwich
26
0.2 mi$ • Quick Bites • Fast Food • Vietnamese
Cafe Colon
87
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • International • Vegetarian Friendly
Sal & Pimienta
18
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Vegetarian Friendly
Café Anaconda
32
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Cafe • Contemporary • Ecuadorean
El Mariachi Taco Factory
58
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Latin • Spanish
Marcando el Camino
66
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Bar • Pizza • Cafe
El Gato Portovejense
22
0.1 mi$ • Seafood • South American • Ecuadorean
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Attractions
184 within 6 miles
Parque El Ejido
323
388 ftParks
Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana
56
439 ftArt Museums
Puerta de La Circasiana
1
388 ftHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Naturalist Guide Ecuador-galapagos
1
0.2 miMountains
Weilbauer Museum (Museo Arqueológico Weilbauer)
4
0.3 miHistory Museums
Museum of Modern Art (Museo de Arte Moderno)
10
0.3 miArt Museums
Asamblea Nacional del Ecuador
4
0.3 miGovernment Buildings
Basilica del Voto Nacional
3,925
0.9 miArchitectural Buildings • Religious Sites
Parque Itchimbia
282
0.7 miParks
Plaza Foch
887
0.5 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
451 reviews
Excellent
261
Very good
130
Average
37
Poor
8
Terrible
15
Corey B
Long Beach, CA20 contributions
New and Exquisitely Curated Museum
Nov 2019
Not a museum that is merely show - while not huge, every piece - art, maps, statues, work from indigenous people thousands of years old... If you want to learn about the history of the country, and see amazing works of art then you need to visit. It'll take a good 3 hours, but it is well worth it for any museum lover, any history lover, any art lover. While not enormous, I've seen few museums as carefully put together and designed to communicate thousands of years of history in a way you can soak in.
Written October 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard D
Ciutadella, Spain675 contributions
Great museum to learn about Ecuadorian history
Jul 2021
This museum is definitely worth a visit to learn about the history of Ecuador. Entry is free. Exhibits are initially in chronological order, starting with precolumbian history and displays and progressing through Christian missionaries to the present. There is following this a room with many beautiful gold precolumbian artefacts. On the second floor there is again some history on native cultures followed by some exhibits of contemporary artists. This museum is well worth a visit as an introduction to Ecuador.
Written July 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George S
Miami Beach, FL1,011 contributions
Very informative — a must see!
Feb 2020 • Solo
The National Museum - NaMu - is now open after a recent renovation and is a not to be missed visit. It is one of the museums located in the Casa de la Cultura (the circular modern building in Arbolito Park) and admission is free. It gives an oversight of the history of Ecuador from pre-Colombian to the modern era. The narratives and information are also in English and are informative. Very interesting ancient artifacts, historical timelines and a marvelous gold exhibition of relics and masks on the ground floor. On the second and third floors there are also thematic exhibits on Ecuador’s history, economy, society, and culture. Once again, nice and informative exhibits, including some modern art. I would allocate at least three hours for this visit. This is a “must see”!
Written February 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amy C
Arizona117 contributions
Disappointing
Mar 2022
Two of the exhibits were being changed when we stopped in so the areas were closed, even though I had checked prior to going and was lead to believe everything was open. The exhibit running upstairs was not to our liking so we did a quick go around on the first floor and back out into the city. Good thing there was not an entrance fee although we added a few dollars to the donation box. Make sure all is open prior to visiting otherwise not worth the time or effort (taxi from Old Town) to get there!
Written April 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rob B
Brentwood, UK64 contributions
An exceptionally underwhelming museum
Jan 2022 • Couples
Although the building is spectacular the exhibits come no where close to living up to their location. Although free we were very disappointed that there were no English explanation beside any of the exhibits . Especially as we were the only 2 people inside the museum for the 30 mins it took us to look round .. really would not waste ur time going to the museum .. it sums up how disappointed we have been with Quito whilst loving the rest of Equador
Written January 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WorldTrvl
Saskatoon, Canada88 contributions
They removed the gold sun god mask and shrunken heads!! Don’t expect to see their most important pieces.
Sep 2022 • Couples
They removed the gold sun god mask and the sunken heads, the most important pieces. The gold sun god mask is the symbol of Ecuador, proudly displayed on the doors of the museum, but, when you arrive at what once was the gold room, all the gold pieces have been removed and replaced with contemporary art. The shrunken heads have also been removed. No explanation. Avoid this museum as the two must important things to see have been removed from exhibition.
Written September 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pfefmeister
San Francisco, CA2,814 contributions
New Museum
Feb 2020 • Couples
This new addition to Quito’s museum portfolio is well deserved of a visit. There is a lot to see here, including historical artifacts, great artwork, gold, silver collection, and much more. We enjoyed our 90 minutes here - it’s fresh interior is appealing and it’s free. Check it out.
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adventure beyond imagination
Munich, Germany14,681 contributions
Pure cultural experience
Feb 2022 • Friends
Two floors were open for visitors. The ground floor shows so many amazing historical ecuadorian pottery masterpieces. Although all the explanations are in Spanish, we still feel the uniqueness of the interesting culture.
Written February 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hombre
10 contributions
First Class modern museum
Jan 2020
Not the easiest place to find, but worth the effort . The most modern of the group of museums and art galleries in the complex and also the most accessible. In one relatively small building you will find some fantastic 20 century art works , but also some absolutely stunning objects and insight into the pre-columbian civilisations of Ecuador. Don’t be put off by the quirky curation, the objects and works of art are absolutely amazing.
Written January 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mariaissa2016
Vancouver, Canada46 contributions
Thematic - well chosen
Feb 2020
This is a beautiful, modern building with intelligently grouped items that address themes: workforce, women, economy, religion etc and their effects on current Ecuadoran society. Some of our group would ave preferred the classical chronological approach, but a great debate ensued. Others of us found that each theme provided a depth of information and approached the theme from many perspectives. Either way, bravo as it was a delightful learning experience.
IT IS FREE.
Written February 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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National Museum of Ecuador (Quito) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about National Museum of Ecuador
National Museum of Ecuador is open:
  • Tue - Tue 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Thu - Thu 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Sat - Sat 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking National Museum of Ecuador tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 1 National Museum of Ecuador tours on Tripadvisor
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