Museums and galleries in Quito

Museums and galleries in Quito

1. See

   Calle de la Ronda

   This street in the Old Town was restored by Municipality and FONSAL in 2007. It was transformed with the help and cooperation of the local residents. It's a romantic cobbled street just off the Plaza Santo Domingo (or it can be reached via Garcia Moreno by the City Museum). There are shops, patios, art galleries and modest cafe restaurants now, all run by residents. Cultural events are common at the weekends. It lacks the liveliness and buzz of the adjacent streets. Go in the late afternoon to find the most shops open and people wandering the laneway.

2. See

   Conjunto monumental San Francisco

   This church dates to 1537 and was devoted to St Francis, since the Franciscan order was the first to settle in the area. Hence the city's official name: San Francisco de Quito. The church contains masterpieces of syncretic art, including the famous "Virgin of Quito" by Legarda. The sculpture represents a winged virgin stepping on the devil's head (in the form of a serpent) and is displayed in the main altar. The virgin would later be inaccurately replicated on top of Panecillo hill. The museum next door to the church is arranged through the monastic compound and includes access to the choir. Next to the choir you can also climb the stairs to enter the bell tower and the church roof, offering great panorama of the square.

   $3 for the museum and the tower

3. See

   Mitad del Mundo

   Just outside of Quito is where the measurements were first made that proved that the shape of the Earth is in fact an oblate spheroid. Commemorating this is a large monument that straddles the equator called Mitad del Mundo or middle of the world. The entrance for the park is $5 (included entrance to small museums - Dec 2019). Visit here if you're interested in learning some alternative facts and seeing some kitsch. Because it's not on the equator itself, and it's not a serious cultural or educational experience. No, the water doesn't really go down the plughole the opposite way in the hemispheres, and if you want to take it seriously you won't enjoy your time here. For some of the attractions like the planetarium, the price is $7.50. You can also go to the Intiñan Solar Museum which is right next to the monument, on the other side of the north fence. The museum is actually on the equator. For $4 you can have a tour of this little museum.

4. See

   Museo Casa del Alabado

   Casa del Alabado Museum

   The permanent collection is made up of pre-Columbian archaeological pieces, from most societies that once inhabited all regions of what is now Ecuador. The Alabado is organized thematically and not chronologically or geographically to allow visitors to generate their own visual and cultural connections about the pieces, in an innovative cultural framework. The works are displayed beautifully in a restored colonial building just off the Plaza San Francisco. Tours in Spanish, English or French every day, at 10:30, 12:00 and 15:30. Services for visitors with reduced mobility: ramps, lift, bathroom and wheelchair.

   Thu-Sun 09ː00-15ː00·Adults $10, children 4-12 $2, children up to 3 free

5. See

   Museo Etnohistorico de Artesanias del Ecuador Mindalae

   Ethnohistoric Museum of Handicrafts of Ecuador Mindalae

   An extremely original project in the north part of the Mariscal District, this museum provides an 'ethno-historical' view of Ecuador's amazingly rich cultural diversity. You can find out about the country's different peoples, from the coast to the Andes to the Amazon, and their crafts in a specially-built and designed structure. The museum has a large fair-trade shop that sells handicrafts and natural products.

   Mon-Fri 09:30–17:30; Sat 10:00–17:30·$5 (Jan 2023)

6. See

   Museo Guayasamin and Capilla del Hombre

   Guayasamin Museum and Chapel of Man

   This museum houses the collection of Ecuador's most renowned contemporary artists, Oswaldo Guayasamin. It has a fine collection of pre-Columbian, colonial and independence art, and houses many of the artist's works. The adjoining Chapel of Man was built posthumously to house some of Guayasamin's vast canvases on the condition of Latin American Man.

   Mon-Fri 09ː30-13ː00·Adults $10; students, seniors, people with disabilities $4; children under 12 free

7. See

   Museo Nacional -- MuNa (formerly Museo del Banco Central)

   Perhaps Ecuador's most renowned museum with different rooms, devoted to pre-Columbian, Colonial and gold works of art, among other topics. Some of the famous pieces include whistle bottles shaped like animals, elaborate gold headdresses and re-created miniature scenes of life along the Amazon. The museum is well-organized, and it takes about 3–4 hours to see everything. Entrance $2. Guides who speak several different languages including English, French and Spanish are available for a small fee. Do not confuse this museum with the Banco Central which is a small exhibition downtown, across from La Compañía church. This exhibit usually shows currency or stamps.

   Wed-Sat 10ː00-17ː00, Sun 10-15, closed Mon and Tue·free

8. See

   Museo de la Ciudad

   A lovely museum with two floors encircling two quiet courtyards, the "Museo de la Ciudad" provides more of a social history of Ecuador than other museums in Quito. Re-enacted scenes from daily life of Ecuador's citizens through the years include a hearth scene from a 16th-century home, a battle scene against the Spanish, and illustrations of the building of Iglesia de San Francisco church.

   $4 (Jan 2023)

9. Buy Not mapped

   Swiss Hotel

   Art gallery and shopsoff the lobby. This upscale hotel is 3 km from Parque La Carolina and 4 km from Plaza de la Independencia square.

10. See

    Contemporary Art Center of Quito

    Modern art museum.

    Thu-Sun 11:00-16:00

11. See

    Yaku Water Museum

    A museum about water's role in science and society.

    Tue-Sat 09:00-17:30, Sun 09:00-16:30, Mon closed

12. Buy Not mapped

    El Jardin

    Art galleries and shopping.

13. Buy Not mapped

    Hotel Quito Art Gallery

    Av. González Suárez N27 142

14. Buy Not mapped

    JW Mariott Quito

    Art gallery and shops off the lobby.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Quito (CC BY-SA 4.0).