Dominican Republic Historical Museums
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SITES AND MUSEUMS Dominican Republic (DR) has a rich and storied history that traces back over thousands of years to the mes of the Taíno Indians. Following the island’s discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Republic had epic interacon with the Spanish, French, Haians and Africans. Because of this blending of diverse cultures, today the country boasts an impressive collecon of historic sites and cultural relics from centuries past. The country has done a magnificent job of maintaining and preserving these arfacts as well as the historical structures in which they are housed. Vising the major cies, especially Santo Domingo, tourists can easily become engrossed in the historical legends that accompany some of the oldest museums and archeological sites in the New World. A unique collecon of natural rocks and gems can also be found exclusively on the island. Near Barahona, a turquoise-blue pectolite stone known as larimar has been culvated from the volcanic rock that once formed the island. The country’s most popular gem, amber, is the result of tree sap that hardened millions of years ago, somemes capturing small plants, animals and insects inside. These two geological imprints are used in jewelry, somemes together and other mes in single pieces. The country’s museums and archeological sites intrigue adults and provide an excing history lesson for children. From rare jewelry to historic relics and Taíno Indian drawings in ancient caves, each venue showcases a vastly different aspect of the island’s colorful heritage. Caves played an important role in the lives of the Taíno Indians. In fact, their creaon myth is centered around a cave located on the island. Stories of the Taíno interacon with various plants, animals, spirits and each other can be seen in the elaborate pictographs and stone carvings within the structures. Other Taíno arfacts are housed at museums and even an excavated burial ground at a local beach. HISTORICAL MUSEUMS North Coast • Amber Museum - Calle Duarte 2, Puerto Plata - Phone: 809.244.4895 - Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.; Sat. 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. - This two-story Victorian museum contains a collecon of the world’s most transparent amber. Well-preserved plants, insects and animals that were captured in prehistoric tree sap are on display. - Insider’s p: This museum contains the famous amber mosquito scepter seen in the box-office hit, “Jurassic Park." • Jewish Museum - El Batey, Sosua - Hours: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Sun.-Mon. - This museum is a tribute to the 700 Jewish refugees taken in by former president Rafael Trujillo in 1938 during the Nazi occupa:on of Germany. exhibits showcase photos and personal memorabilia of the seilers and the dairy manufacturing facili:es they developed in town. • Fort San Felipe - Ave. General Gregorio Luperón, La Pun:lla, Puerto Plata - Phone: 809.261.1911 - Tue.-Sun. 9 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Constructed in the 16th century to ward off pirates, Fort San Felipe stands as an important remaining historical site on the North Coast. East Coast • Altos de Chavon Regional Museum of Archaeology - Altos de Chavón, La Romana - Phone: 809-523-8554 Hours: Open 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily - Located on the Chavon River, this museum boasts a collec:on of more than 3,000 ar:facts from the na:ve Taino Indians who once inhabited the region. - Tue.-Sun. 9 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Constructed in the 16th century to ward off pirates, Fort San Felipe stands as an important remaining historical site on the North Coast. • The Punta Cana Ecological Foundaon - Punta Cana Resort & Club, Punta Cana - Phone: 809-959-9221 - Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily - With 1,500 acres of protected, biodiverse environmental regions, the Punta Cana ecological Founda:on is a pillar in sustainable tourism and environmental educa:on in the east. The property includes etymology exhibits with buierflies, moths and beetles and its own vegetable garden. • Casa Ponce de León - South of Higuey in San Rafael de Yuma - This palace and museum in San Rafael de Yuma houses ar:facts from the famous Spanish Conquistador, Juan Ponce de León. • Basilica de Higuey Nuestra Senora de la Altagracia Ave. Mons. Adolfo Nouel esq. Ve:ll Alfau Duran, Higüey - Ave. Mons. Adolfo Nouel esq. Ve:ll Alfau Duran, Higüey - Phone: 809.554.2431 - Hours: 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily - Higuey’s basilica, built in 1972, contains beau:ful stained glass, candle ligh:ng altars and a statue of the country’s patron saint, the Virgen de la Altagracia. South Central Coast • Alcázar de Colón (Castle of Columbus) - Plaza españa, Ciudad Colonial - Phone: 809.682.4750 - Tue.–Sat. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sun. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. - This palace, including ar:facts from the Columbus family, was built in the 1500s by Christopher’s son, Diego, and his wife. - Insider’s :p: Following a tour of Alcazar de Colon, venture out onto the plaza in front of the palace where you will find a large square lined with outdoor pa:os, shops and restaurants to enjoy delicious local fare and atmosphere. • Museo de las Casas Reales (Museum of the Royal Houses) - Calle Las Damas, Santo Domingo - Phone: 809-682-4202 - Hours: Tue.-Sat. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sun. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. - Once the 16th century governor’s Supreme Court, this museum documents Santo Domingo’s rich history with tapestries, maps and other ar:facts from 1492 to 1821. • Museo Del Hombre Dominicano (Museum of the Dominican Man) - Plaza de la Cultura, Santo Domingo - Phone: 809.687.3622 - HourS: Tue. –Sun. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. - Set in the Plaza de la Cultura, this museum is reputed to have the country’s best collec:on of pre-Columbian ar:facts including jewelry, religious pieces and sculptures. A favorite exhibit explains the effects of African slavery with displays of voodoo ar:facts and carnival costumes. • Museo de Larimar (Museum of Larimar) - 54 Calle Isabel la Catolica, Santo Domingo - Phone: 809-689-6605 - Hours: Mon. – Sat. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sun. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. - This new museum explains the island’s mining and jewelry industry. exhibits demonstrate the extrac:on, shaping and jewelry-making processes of larimar. • Museo de la Familia Dominicana del Siglo XIX (Museum of the Dominican Family of the 19th Century) - Casa de Tostado, Calle Arzobispo Merino, Santo Domingo - Phone: 809.689.5000 - Hours: Tue.–Sun. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. - Built in 1503, this colonial mansion exhibits ar:facts and personal belongings of a 19th century well-to-do Santo Domingo family. While its contents are intriguing, the best part of the museum is the house itself, which has the only double Gothic window in North or South America. TAÍNO INDIAN SITES North Coast • La Isabela NaAonal Park - This Na:onal Park is complete with a Taíno museum that illustrates the way these na:ves lived, ate, prepared food and sustained themselves day-to-day. Visitors also can examine a mock thatched hut and crops. • NaAonal Park Jaragua, Barahona - This park contains some of the oldest Taíno Indian sites on the island. Cave the Poza and the Mongó Cave, within the park, display pictographs and petroglyphs of their :me. South Central Coast • Museo Prehispanico o Ave. San Marrn #279. Santo Domingo - Phone: (809) 331-8888 ext. 272-273 - This Taíno museum located in Santo Domingo showcases objects from daily life such as jewelry, poiery and ritual items. Southwest Coast • Las Caritas o Deep in the southwest corner of the country, on Lago enriquillo, is Las Caritas. This cave is rumored to have hidden Taíno leader enriquillo from the Spanish during their conflict with the na:ve people in the early 1500s. The cave also contains dozens of small chiseled faces into the rock walls that seem to come alive to all who enter it. East Coast • Jose Maria Cave o Located far into the Parque Nacional del este near La Romana, this limestone cave holds 1,200 Taíno pain:ngs depic:ng mythological events and a peace offering for the Spaniards in 1503. • Penon Gordo, Bayahibe o Penon Gordo is one of 200 caves in the Parque Nacional del este. This cave displays a chiseled guardian figure at the entrance of the cave and several Taíno pain:ngs. - Insider’s :p: To get a full tour of the Taíno sites in Parque Nacional del este, including some areas that are unknown to tour operators, hire a park ranger as a guide. • El Pomier Caves o Located north of San Cristobal, visitors can view the Caribbean’s largest collec:on of Taíno cave art. Scenes of spirits, rituals and objects of Taíno belief are included in the drawings. • Cueva de las Maravillas - Hours: Tue.- Sun.9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Located within San Pedro de Macoris, these caves contain nearly 500 Taíno pictographs and petroglyphs. • Parque Submarino La Caleta - Hours: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily - This na:onal park reveals an excavated Taíno burial ground with several skeletons on display at the beach. • Los Indios de Chacuey o Known as the Stonehenge of the Caribbean, a similar circular forma:on of rocks surrounding a stone slab indicates a possible Taíno ceremonial center. Northeast Coast • Parque Nacional Los HaiAses - Accessible only by an organized boat trip due to the swamps and rocky terrain that surround them, these caves display drawings of various animals and human faces.