Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Santo Domingo

Exceptional experience. Bring your phone so you can translate with your camera. There is a lot of information in this exhibit so manage your brain muscle with this one.

And there are many rooms. Each room tells a story of an era and together they tell the story of Mexico.

Each time you exit a room you’re standing in these gorgeous and long corridors giving you time to transition.

The chapel was one of the most I’ve seen. Compared to European and other Latin American countries this one is better.

So bring your phone to read, walk the corridors, and two hours later step outside into the magical Oaxaca!

This has to be one of the most amazing museums in the region. We first saw an incredible textile exhibit by Elena Martinez Bolio, a feminist using needlepoint to illustrate life from a woman’s perspective. The rest of the museum began by showcasing the history of Oaxaca from prehistory to the 1800s. As you go throw the exhibits floor by floor, you’ll see the development of Oaxaca’s history. Every floor has unique features but the most amazing is the archeological finds in the 30’s of the treasures of Mount Albon. The interactive nature of this exhibition is terrific. It’ll take a minimum of two to three hours to go through it so bring your walking shoes. It’s a hundred pesos and worth every peso of it!! Not to be missed. Along the way, you can see the botanical gardens from the walkways which is a separate place to visit.

What a magnificent building. The interiors, alleys, library and overall collection comprise perhaps the best art selection within Oaxaca. The views of the cathedral and unrivaled and if you happen to feel mesmerized by it, as it was my case, you can have a sit in one of the benches located across the top floor corridor and indulge in contemplating this marvel of human architecture. Highly recommended!!!

Pretty much a go to museum since it has a lot of Zapoteca artifacts. They have gold items and pots. The room with really old books looked nice but you can't look inside of them. Only the books in the middle are visible and the had pictures of nude women. There's parades that happen outside so you can catch it during the morning. They offer a discount if you are over 60. Pretty cheap to go in and might take 2 1/2hrs if you wanna examine and enjoy every room. If you're staying in a hotel outside the city, this is the place to tell a taxi to drop you off because it's a good place to start in the morning and the shopping places are around it.

beautiful exhibit right beside Santo Domingo, the courtyard is breathtaking and even more captivating are the relics housed inside it. All the clay work from the zapotecs was astonishing, lovely tour of this museum, i recommend visiting, worth the $90 peso entrance fee.

A place very well worth visiting on a trip to Oaxaca. I went without a tour, but from what I saw, you would get a lot more out of it with a guide. Chronicles the history of Oaxaca from ancient history to more modern times through artifacts and stories. One of the top three things to do in Oaxaca.

Museo de la Cultura de Oaxaca is not just an informative museum; it's an architectural marvel. The breathtaking drawings on the roof and the garden, reminiscent of a Garden of Eden, add a unique charm to the overall experience. Exploring the museum is like taking a journey from the pre-Hispanic era to contemporary times, providing a rich understanding of the diverse people who have inhabited Oaxaca.

Our visit lasted an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes, and throughout this time, we were captivated by the wealth of information presented. What makes this museum particularly pleasant is not only its informative content but also the aesthetic appeal of its design.

Highly recommended for those eager to delve into the history of the region, Museo de la Cultura de Oaxaca stands out as a delightful blend of education and aesthetic enjoyment. A must-visit for anyone interested in the vibrant life of Oaxaca's cultural heritage.

Impressive museum and great way to see the inside of the old Santo Domingo convent. Bonus aerial view of the Ethnobotanical gardens in Oaxaca!

The artifacts in this museum are pretty interesting. I usually do research before visiting a museum but I was on a time crunch. I did have a great guide that gave me context to what I was looking at. Would love to visit a second time.

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.

You will learn a lot about Oaxaca culture and history. I spent 2 hours here. Clean bathrooms. Be aware you are not allowed to bring in any food or drinks.

If you have been or are going to Monte Albán, you should definitely visit this museum. The collection gives a context to the civilisations which lived in the Oaxaca area, the artefacts helping to bring life to the buildings you see at the archaeological site. The real highlight is the room devoted to Tomb 7 at Monte Albán, which contains all the pieces found there, including the magnificent gold craftwork and masks. This room is easily the best presented, with everything in English and Spanish and interactive displays. Elsewhere, it can be a little confusing - there are no signs to guide you the correct way, and random parts get closed off (Rooms X to XIV were closed when we visited) - but both the collection and the building (a stunning former convent) is definitely worth the effort. Be prepared for a wait at busy times, as the ticket office is agonisingly slow.

My favourite museum in Mexico and one of the best I have ever visited. The architecture is amazing. You learn a lot about the history of Oaxaca. I highly recommend to visit:)

Views of the courtyards inside the museum. The museum is attached to the church Santo Domingo. The church is free. The museum was $90.00 pesos to enter. No photos allowed of the interior exhibits. The exhibits beautifully depict the timeline for f pre-classical indigenous cultures, classical, and finally post-classical colonization.

**UPDATED**

I’d finally managed to visit this museum on 21/12/22, to which i will say is one of the most historical and enjoyable ones to see, whilst staying in Oaxaca.

I think at best I recall the cost of entry into this place is around $120 Mexican pesos.

You’ll have to leave your bag into storage, prior to touring inside.

The standout section is the treasures of Tomb 7, from Monté Alban and how it leaves you in awe when seeing it in person.

Hard to believe that was used as a military base during the Mexican revolution. As also to know that one of the church bells was melted down to make weapons out of.

This museum is closed on Mondays.

On 12/12 this was closed. So will try again later.

This is both an amazing building & an incredible collection of Mezo-American artifacts, mostly from Monte Alban. The room featuring the finding of Tomb 7 & items found would be worth the visit on its own. It's easy to spend a couple of hours here.

This is a delightful architectural and beautiful place! Gorgeous view of the botanical gardens.

What a great museum! It's really big and beautiful, multiple rooms to visit and some exteriors also. You can see a large portion of the botanical garden from the 2nd floors through the many point if views. Price is very decent at 75 pesos ( may be cheaper for locals and kids ) and it took me a little more that 2 hours to see it all. I highly recommend when in Oaxaca.

A great collection of jewelry which was found in the tombs of Monte Alban. I would recommend this highly. Great views of the city and there gardens from there windows.

I hired a guide which made it far better than trying it on your own. It's very large and the guide knew quite a bit of history beyond the printed material.