Casa Santo Domingo Museums

Casa Santo Domingo Museums

Casa Santo Domingo Museums
4.5
Speciality MuseumsArt MuseumsHistory Museums
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience Casa Santo Domingo Museums and nearby attractions

See what travelers are saying

  • sgavoyages
    Paris, France10,578 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful museums
    The huge hotel is in fact a former monastery converted into a hotel. It contains many very uneven museums. The most interesting is that of archeology with an original desire to compare with contemporary production. Free for hotel guests but too expensive for exteriors. Allow one hour.
    Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. We hope to see you again soon.
    Written April 26, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written March 18, 2024
  • Orit B
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing! Do it.
    Poetry! The music and walk through the museums' gardens in a treat by itself. Than you have the amazing art exhibitions, we loved the old with the new in which they put together ancient mayan art together with modern glass items, was fun. The sculptures and the art was fantastic. Not to be missed.
    Thank you for sharing your experience with others, we are happy to know that we meet your expectations. We hope a return visit is in your plans.
    Written May 17, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written May 1, 2024
  • Mr. Fisher
    Tampa, Florida525 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    All in one visit
    You can spend half a day visiting this place, have a great meal, then hop their free shuttle to tenedor del cerro and spend the rest of the day with another great meal. Or just stay in the hotel and visit all the attractions affiliated to Santo Domingo. I stayed at another hotel and came to visit and eat here but I would have rather stayed here if it was available. The museum is excellent, part ruins, part colonial antiques, part modern art and also chocolate and coffee exhibits. Strongly recommend.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written January 21, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,613 reviews
Excellent
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Very good
317
Average
64
Poor
19
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Rowan H
Cairns, Australia1,719 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022 • Couples
So this used to be a large Dominican monastery in 1542. It consisted of numerous buildings. Unfortunately a lot of the buildings were significantly damaged over the subsequent centuries by frequent earthquakes and the ruins were intermittently harvested for stone. In 1970 the ruins were purchased privately and excavated by a North America archeologist.

Following this the site was purchased and a large portion of it converted into the casa Santo Domingo hotel. A significant number of buildings however were preserved and some repurposed. These other buildings beyond the hotel can be viewed by tourists for a cost of 40Q.

Finding this place is a little tricky. You can go through the casa Santo Domingo hotels foyer or alternatively there is another entry on 1a Av Norte. The one on Avenue Norte however will display ‘University de San Carlos’ or something similar.

After entering you follow a fairly typical path visiting about 6 museums (silver, colonial focusing on religious art, archeological, precolombino, popular art, farmacia). It sounds like a lot of museums but in reality they are all quite small. In addition to this you get to view some interesting ruins and well maintained gardens.

It took us about 1.5 hours to get through this place which was a lot quicker than what I was expecting.
I thought it was enjoyable and would recommend it to others.
Written September 20, 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.
Thank you for visiting the museums & archaeological area and for sharing your experience with others. We hope a return visit is in your future plans.
Written October 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

USAViajera
U.S.A.167 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Solo
Very beautiful hotel that used to be a monastery therefore it has a lot of history, relics, museums, and even ruins on the property. The architecture is fantastic. The service was great and the food was very good. My room had a view of 2 volcanoes, one of them active so you would see it spewing gas from time to time, very cool. The room was very spacious and had a sitting area with a fire place. The decor was a bit dated so it could definitely use a remodel. Antigua is absolutely beautiful, cobblestone streets, quaint, safe and clean, loved it. Make sure you go to the "mirador" or lookout, easy short walk from town and nice wide steps to the top. Also, go to the Tenedor del Cerro, a restaurant up on a hill with an amazing view of the city and volcanos, beautiful grounds with sculptures and paintings.
Written August 15, 2023
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.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. We are happy to know that you had a nice experience and look forward to serving you in the future. Regarding the room decor, please tell us in which room you stayed during your visit so we can see what needs to be done. We pay special attention to the punctual performance of our maintenance and renovation program so this helps a lot.
Written August 23, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

verdantheart
45 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This is actually a group of museums which surround the grounds of Santa Domingo. For 40 Q (about $5:00) you tour through several buildings: an art gallery (with working artist), a Pharmacy Museum, and a couple additional museums. The jewel is the last one. They have put together an incredible exhibit which pairs Pre-Columbian artifacts with modern versions of the same subject. It is simply brilliant and is worth the price by itself.
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.
Dear verdantheart Thank you for visiting our museums and for taking the time to write a review. We are glad to hear you had a good experience especially in the Pre-Columbian Art & Modern Glass Museum - personally one of my favorites.
Written January 20, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

viajar10
Atlanta, GA23 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Family
The hotel grounds are beautiful, and they contain ruins that make it a museum and open to the public for a fee. It is definitely worth visiting the grounds and even having a meal. However, our stay was not memorable in the least. The front desk staff is seemingly untrained. They could not answer basic questions about the hotel property itself. Our rooms were outdated and beds uncomfortable. They decided to change pool hours on the day of simply because the hotel was not very crowded, which was a disappointment to our kids who were planning to swim. Breakfast was included; however the line for the breakfast buffet fue to COVID restrictions was obnoxious. We asked our server to bring tortillas since they were being made fresh and there was a long delay. 30 minutes later, he told us our tortillas had been given to another customer. Small items like this kept adding up and definitely were not worthy of the previous reputation of this hotel. The rates are simply not justified given the level of service and amenities. We were looking forward to this stay and walked away sorely disappointed.
Written May 3, 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.
Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed review about your recent eperience at Casa Santo Domingo. We are disheartened to hear that many elements of your stay were dissappointing and that your expectations were not met. If there is any way to earn back your business in the future please let me know.
Written June 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

ilovelanguage
Escazu, Costa Rica203 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
Really cool museum to visit. It is more like 6 different museums: one for silver, one for chocolate, one of the ruins of the church and its relics and crypts, one of claywork and candles, one of architecture that had a 'then and now' photograph exhibit to show old and current photos of places in Antigua and in the capitol, and the Vical museum, which had pottery, urns and figurines from ancient times (like 2000 and 3000 years ago!) alongside modern pieces that take inspiration or 'mirror' the ancient works of art. This last museum was a real treat! The space was amazing, the lighting was proper and the pieces were breathtaking. Highly recommend this museum to all Antigua visitors.
Written April 13, 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.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write your review and for letting us know that you enjoyed visiting the archaeological areas and museum exhibits. We hope a return visit is in your future plans.
Written April 25, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SabLes
Toulouse, France2,129 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
incredible place, unmissable, crazy. Already the hotel, the rooms, the garden, the museums, the decor. It’s simply sublime and magical. The museum has quite comprehensive collections! they even have their own factory of candles and plates and dishes for the hotel!
Google
Written August 27, 2023
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.
Merci beaucoup de nous avoir laissé un commentaire aussi fantastique. Nous sommes ravis d'apprendre que vous avez apprécié les différents services proposés pendant votre séjour et que vous gardez de bons souvenirs de votre séjour dans votre pays d'origine. Nous espérons que vous reviendrez bientôt.
Written September 23, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

LuizDutraNeto
Rio de Janeiro, RJ8,543 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
In 1538, the first Dominican friars of the "Orden de Predicadores de Santo Domingo de Guzmán" arrived in the "Capitanía General de Guatemala", establishing the "Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo". It was one of the most important Roman Catholic convents of the Americas in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The baroque two-towered building with fantastic ten bells, filled with rich objects and holy relics, was destroyed by the earthquakes of 1773. Its ruins remained abandoned for many years. Centuries later, they were somehow restored and house, today, an awesome complex of museums. Through the ancient walls, brick archways, old crypts and tile corridors, the treasures of "Casa Santo Domingo" are on display: pre-Columbian Mayan art, ceramics, religious objects, silver and glass wares, old pharmacy articles ... plus paintings, sculptures, colonial furniture and archaelogical findings. Art and history. Unmissable! Enjoy!
Written August 21, 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.
It is very pleasant to receive such a detailed comment on your appreciation of the cultural and archaeological remains of the former Santo Domingo convent, its museums and contents. Thank you for your dedication and we hope that you will visit us again soon.
Written February 25, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

CaFoodRepublic
Chico, CA635 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
Important not only for it’s a historical role in the construction and Life of the city, but important because it is one of the largest archaeological complexes open to the public. Expansive ruins with fairly good labeling Allow one to appreciate this edifice. But what makes this a really amazing places the way in which it has been adapted to a high-end hotel, which assists in its preservation and that generates lots of cash for the economy. Add to that A top-flight restaurant with beautiful seating, and some of the most impressive art galleries with art for sale to the public that you will find in the city. Dozens of wonderful photogenic settings available. A must see.
Written February 22, 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.
Dear Foodfunfest, Thank you very much for your special review. We are pleased to know you enjoyed your visit to La Antigua and that visiting us made your trip special. We hope you return in a near future.
Written March 20, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

EastmeetsWestAB
London, UK2,345 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Couples
We visited this place on the last day of our stay. Glad we went. The place is really a museum, hotel & church. Loved the idea how they managed to make full use of the place.

The likeliness exhibition is interesting where it compares old vs modern art work.

Plenty of photo opportunities. Worth a visit!

Written January 22, 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.
Dear EastmeetsWestAB, Thank you for leaving a review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed your visit and hope to see you soon.
Written January 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Robert S
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL881 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019 • Couples
This was the last stop on a long morning tour; hence, a great place to pause. It is a partially restored ruin with art stores and cafes with opportunity to visit, drink and chat in a modern setting and upscale opportunities. Thankfully, we were leaving just a massive wave of cruise ship people were coming in...
Written January 6, 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.
Dear Robert, Thank you for including a visit to our property while in La Antigua. We are glad to hear you enjoyed it as well as the tour through our museusm. All the best.
Written January 11, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Casa Santo Domingo Museums - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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