The Top 7 Museums in Nicaragua

The city of Leon is home to a number of good cultural institutions, and this gallery boasts the best art collection in Nicaragua. Explore the well-restored townhouses with their paintings and sculptures from throughout the ages. There are works from Nicaraguan artists on display here, as well as unexpected artworks by Picasso, Rembrandt and Miro.

The national museum is found in the centre of the capital city, Managua. There are some good pre-Columbian artefacts such as flint and ceramic urns, as well as lots of information about national folklore, music, food and drink.

Most visitors to Nicaragua will make their way to the beautiful city of Granada at some point, and this old convent is one of its many attractions. Duck out of the heat of the day to take a look at the huge collection of pre-Columbian statues that tell the story of Nicaragua’s distant past.

This impressive museum is housed in a building that was used by the Somoza government before the revolution. It became a focus for the revolutionaries, and today houses exhibits about the fighters and their struggle.

This former prison sits just outside the centre of the city, and is now home to a museum that tells the story of Nicaraguan folk traditions. Since 1993, founder Doña Carmen Toruño has put together exhibits that combine the human rights abuses committed at the prison with the traditions of the country.

Visit the town of Niquinohomo near Granada to learn about the life and times of the revolutionary leader Augusto Cesar Sandino, who lent his name to the Sandinista group. It’s worth stopping off here on your way from Granada to Managua.

This archaeological site is home to fossilized tracks left by humans and animals around 6,000 years ago. In addition to the tracks themselves there is also a good museum with human skulls, a fossilized bison print and pieces of ceramics.