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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.

Address: Cuenca N1-41, Bolívar
Hours: Thu-Sun 09ː00-15ː00
Price: Adults $10, children 4-12 $2, children up to 3 free
Website: alabado.org (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Quito, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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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.
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Metropolitan Cultural Center
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Tue-Sat 09:00-17:30, Sun 10:00-16:00, Mon closed