We've tried to provide a snapshot of Cuenca's museums, which provide a rich cultural history. Be sure to check on opening and closing times as these may change.
Municipal Museum of Modern Art
Address: Mariscal Sucre and Coronel Talbot
Telephone: 07-4134900 ext. 1960
Schedule: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 1 pm
Admission: free
The museum opened in 1981. It is the home of the international Biennial of Cuenca and an important point in spreading of modern and contemporary art in Ecuador and the world.
La Condamine House Museum
Address: 12-112 La Condamine
Telephone: 0969039552
Schedule: Monday to Saturday 10am to 1om and 2pm to 6 pm
Admission: 50 cents per person
The museum operates from a 161-year-old colonial style building. Antiques and crafts are displayed throughout as well as an original fashion shop, a gallery and coffee shop.
Straw Hat Museum
Address: Calle Larga and Padre Aguirre
Telephone: 07-2831569
Schedule: Monday to Friday 830am to 630 pm; Saturday 930am to 5pm; Sunday 930am to 130pm
Admission: Free
Located in the historic Paredes Roldan House, the Straw Hat Museum combines historical exhibits, technical demonstrations and an actual working factory to weave together the story of the Ecuadorian straw hat.
University Archeological Museum
Address: 5-199 12 de Abril Avenue and Solano Avenue
Telephone: 07-4051000 ext. 1225
Schedule: Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 3pm to 6pm
Admission: Free
Housing a collection of approximately 4,500 pieces of metal, stone, and ceramic items, the archeological museum presents a chronological history of the many cultures that shaped Ecuador.
Museum of the History Society of Medicine
Address: Av. 12 de Abril 7-55
Telephone: 07-2835859
Schedule: Monday to Friday 830am to 130pm and 2pm to 5pm
Admission: Free
Organized by branch of medicine in fourteen different rooms, the museum collection presents over 1200 pieces of medical equipment spanning pre-Hispanic, Colonial, and Republican periods.
Remigio Crespo Toral House-Museum
Address: 7-27 Calle Larga and Presidente Borrero
Telephone: 07-4134900 ext. 1970
Schedule: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm
Admission: Free
Discover some 8,000 pieces of archaeological significance, including gold artifacts from the Cañari and Chordeleg cultures and ceramics from the pre-Hispanic era, along with a collection of colonial paintings and religious artwork.
Las Conceptas Museum
Address: 6-33 Hermano Miguel and Juan Jaramillo
Telephone: 07-2830625
Schedule: Monday to Friday 9am to 630pm; Saturday 10am to 1pm
Admission: School students: $1.50; university students and Senior Citizens: $2.50; national and foreign visitors: $3.50
Housed in the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception, exhibits are organized in five sections: History of the Monastery and Daily Life; Painting and Sculpture; Custom Miniatures; Furniture; and Porcelain and Crystal.
Cañari Identity Museum
Address: 6-26 Presidente Cordova and Hermano Miguel
Telephone: 07-2825384/07-2825212
Schedule: Monday to Friday 9am to 630pm; Saturday 9am to 130pm
Admission: Adults $2.00; public school students, disabled people and senior citizens free
This private museum presents approximately 150 pre-Columbian Cañari pieces, along with another 500 pieces from the Cañari, Incan and Puruha cultures.
Museum of Popular Arts of American (CIDAP)
Address: 3-23 Hermano Miguel and Paseo Tres de Noviembre
Telephone: 07-2840919/ 07-2829451/ 2850516
Schedule: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm; Saturday 9am to 4pm
Admission: Free
With a collection of about 8,000 objects and an expansive Documentation Center, the Museum offers invaluable sources of research, knowledge and awareness of craft expressions and popular arts.
Museum of Indigenous Cultures
Address: 5-24 Calle Larga between Hermano Miguel and Mariano Cueva
Telephone: 07-2841540/ 07-2839181
Schedule: Monday to Friday 9am to 6m; Saturday 9am to 2pm; Sunday by appointment
Admission: Students $2.00; National and foreign visitors $4.00
The permanent exhibit follows a geographic and thematic presentation of indigenous materials including stone, ceramics, shells, bones, metals, and textiles as well as beautiful ceremonial and decorative objects and sculptures.
Museo Manuel Agustin Landivar
Address: Calle Larga and Manuel Vega
Telephone: 07-2821177/ 09-95520186
Schedule: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 630pm; Saturday 10am to 2pm
Admission: Free
Located in the Todos Santo area of archaeological remains, the museum’s rotating exhibits include ethnographic, paleontological and patrimonial ceramics from the Cañari, Incan, and Spanish cultures.
Pumapungo Museum and Ancestral Park
Address: Calle Larga and Huayna Capac
Telephone: 07-2831521
Schedule: Tuesday to Friday 8am to 530pm; Saturday/Sunday/Holidays 10am to 4pm
Admission: Free
The ancestral park contains the ruins of an Incan administrative, military and religious complex second in importance only to the city of Cuzco in Peru, along with an ethno-botanic park containing more than 230 native plant and tree species.