The lunch at the adjoint cafe was delicious. I went into the theatre as part of a guided tour (available in English and Spanish) and it was brilliantly done. The staff dressed up as characters to recount the history of the place and kept us entertained the whole time.

If you have time, I definitely recommend doing the 40 minutes guided tour. The two actors get really into character, especially the actress who plays multiple roles. Plus they are knowledgeable and answered a lot of questions about the theatre. They talk about the theatre room, upstairs, the paintings, sculptures and historical people connected to the theatre. I also recommend booking the tour in advance, but you pay on the day of your visit. I booked the 11am tour in advance. When paying and collecting my ticket, there was a couple behind me who also wanted to do the 11am tour but it was fully booked and the next available slot was the 1pm tour. You can email uboleteria@teatronacional.go.cr to book. The price was CRC 3,500 per person.

You must see this museum when in Costa Rica. It is located in an old fortress, where you can see old prisoner cells, the lookout towers, and other parts of the fort. You enter through a lovely butterfly garden and the history of the country unfolds as you walk through the exhibitions that have transformed the fort. There are exhibits from and about indigenous peoples and all stages of the country's history. Very well presented, with fabulous artifacts and through and engaging presentations. I learned so much about the country, its art, its politics, its ecomony, and the current plans of its people. Do not miss this.

I didn't expect to enjoy my visit so much. Excellent guided tour with "charming" visits for characters from Costa Rica's past. Amazing floor that is raised every four years for new president's gala. Treasure of art work. Cafe is a little pricy but very comfortable setting. Safe walking area. 10 minutes from Holiday Inn.

The glowing reviews are absolutely right: this place is a gem and the hour-long tour is both informative and fun. Hard to believe the amount of gold leaf! - and it’s great to be able to see much of the restoration taking place. The video about the auditorium floor, which can all be raised and lowered, is just one remarkable element. Listen out for the explanation for the separate entrance for those with tickets for the third circle top…! Highly recommended (& don’t miss the chance to have an excellent coffee & some equally excellent food in the wonderful theatre cafe next door - a timeless gem).

An absolutely beautiful little gem of a theatre. Worth the guided tour despite it being limited- you don't go on the stage or behind it. The guides are knowledgeable & fun. The coffee shop attached is good if pricey.

There are only two tours per day in English and both are in the afternoon which is a shame. We went on the Spanish tour as this was the only way we would get to see inside the building. It is very beautiful and worth the visit. The guides were very enthusiastic. Shame we could not understand.

Beautiful building. Nice bits of history. Tasty cafe. Interesting part of town. **HINT! For English speaking tours you need to go to the box office outside of the theater on the right side. (This is not very obvious). There was only one English tour on the day of my tour, at 3:00pm. The other 8 or so tours were all in Spanish and several were sold out. It cost around $8 per person.