Gold Museum, Bogotá Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Museum of Gold
Museo del Oro

View of the Museum of Gold
Established	22 December 1939
Location	Carrera 6 # 15-82 (Parque Santander) Bogotá, Colombia
Public transit access	Museo del Oro

A heart-shaped gold chest piece from the Calima culture.

The museum's logo, with the seal of the Bank of the Republic.

The Museum of Gold (Spanish: Museo del Oro) is a famous archaeology museum in Bogotá, Colombia. It's one of the most popular places to visit in the country. About 500,000 people visit the museum every year!

This museum shows off amazing gold items and other metal objects from before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas. These items were made by different indigenous cultures who lived in Colombia long ago. The museum has the largest collection of gold artifacts in the world. These special objects, made from a metal that was sacred to these cultures, help us understand how these ancient societies lived and thought. You can also see items made from pottery, stone, shells, wood, and textiles.

History of the Museum
- The Muisca Raft
- Museum Expansion
What You'll See
- Main Exhibitions
- Journey to the Third Floor
Images for kids
See also

History of the Museum

In 1934, the Bank of the Republic started to help protect Colombia's important archaeological treasures. The very first item in their collection was a famous object called the Poporo Quimbaya. It has been on display for over 70 years! Today, the museum is managed by a group called Banrepcultural.

The Muisca Raft

The museum is home to the incredible Muisca raft. This golden raft was found in Pasca in 1969. It shows a special ceremony where a new ruler, called a zipa, of the Muisca people would take power. This ceremony is part of the famous El Dorado myth. The new ruler would stand on a raft, surrounded by important leaders. Everyone was decorated with lots of gold and feathers. They would offer these precious items to their gods.

Museum Expansion

The Museum of Gold was made much bigger and better in October 2008 after ten years of work. With this renovation, the museum organized its main exhibits into five rooms. They also added a special interactive room where you can learn more. Plus, there's now an auditorium, rooms for temporary exhibits, a cafe, a restaurant, and a souvenir shop.

What You'll See

The museum has a huge collection of 55,000 pieces. About 6,000 of these are on display in the expanded building. Most of the descriptions for the exhibits are in both Spanish and English, so it's easy to understand. When you enter, you'll find the main entrance, a gift shop, and a restaurant on the first floor.

Main Exhibitions

The main exhibits start on the second floor. The biggest room is called "People and Gold in pre-Hispanic Colombia". Here, you'll see amazing gold items made by different cultures that lived in Colombia before the Spanish arrived. The permanent exhibition has separate areas for each culture, like the Calima, Quimbaya, Muisca, Zenú, Tierradentro, San Agustín, Tolima, Tairona, and Urabá. There's also a special room called "After Columbus" (Después de Colón).

Journey to the Third Floor

The exhibits continue on the third floor with sections called "The Flying Shamanic" and "The Offering." "The Flying Shamanic" shows how a shaman (a spiritual leader) would perform ceremonies using different gold pieces. "The Offering" section is split into three parts: the "Offering Room," the "Offering Boat," and "The Lake."

At the very end of the museum, there's a "Profunditation Room." This room features artistic videos that tell you more about the most important gold pieces in the museum. It's a great way to learn even more!