Central America
Costa Rica
Province of San Jose
San Jose Metro
San Jose
San Jose Attractions
Jade Museum
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Jade Museum

See all things to do
See all things to do
Jade Museum
4.5
1,363 reviews
#3 of 98 things to do in San Jose
History Museums
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8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
The Jade Museum and of precolumbian culture is positioned as an innovative state-of-the-art cultural proposal in the protection and conservation of archaeological heritage in Central America. Located in the center of Costa Rics's capital, the building was especially constructed to house the museum's collection, its architecture evoking a cut jade block. Its five levels exhibit objects crafted by artisans specialized in solving their daily subsistence needs, their spiritual and political world.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,364 reviews
Excellent
784
Very good
376
Average
161
Poor
29
Terrible
14
FancyFel
Toronto, Canada27 contributions
Great stop for a quick culture check!
Mar 2023 • Couples
Was recommended this visit by a non-associated tour guide that valued taking in the cultural history of Costa Rica. Really enjoyed learning about the mystery of Costa Rica spheres! As interesting as Stonehenge if not more. Entire museum a great stop in your ‘culture day’ hopefully built into your trip.
Written 30 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
betteskid
Boston, MA1,173 contributions
Very enjoyable small museum
Mar 2023
We visited here while staying in San Jose and enjoyed our visit. The museum is small and manageable and has very informative displays. I think kids would enjoy it as they also have computer screens that illustrate facts about some of the topics in a very kid-friendly way. Information about the displays can also be accessed on screens, a feature that some may find a bit confusing, but we thought it worked well. There is a lot of history and culture represented here in addition to the jade. I would try to stop if you have time while you are in San Jose.
Written 28 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kascha N
Santa Teresa, Costa Rica37 contributions
So much more than Jade.
Dec 2022 • Friends
Much more than I expected in history and archeology exhibits. Lovely place I liked it better than the National Museum because of its historical perspective. I learned a great deal about the different indigenous groups and the development of this young Nation.
Written 26 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
TomCost
philadelphia189 contributions
Interesting Guest Artist
Mar 2023
The guest artist who had sculptures and paintings on display was impressive. The Pre Columbian art that occupied the other spaces was interesting but limited to a casually familiar visitor
Written 11 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Treacletart
Fairfield,CT103 contributions
It's ok, but I expected more jade!
Mar 2023
My husband and I actually found this museum quite boring. Not sure why it's called the jade Museum when in fact there really isn't that much jade on display. We breezed round in half an hour and at $16 per person we felt it was way over priced. Beautiful building just disappointed with the artefacts. And the current Dali exhibit is just a weird addition. Not a fan...
Written 6 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
141RichardM
Slough, UK62 contributions
Interesting anthropology museum
Mar 2023 • Couples
More of a pre Colombian/anthropology museum with lots of Jade artefacts but also gold, stone and pottery with mostly animalistic decorations. Objects were a bit repetitive and could have had more explanation of objects in English, however the main exhibit boards did have info on English about the history of pre Colombian life such as beliefs, rituals and everyday life.
Nice modern building. Easy to follow.
Cost was 16 dollars.
Written 2 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
luvin2go
Durham, NC221 contributions
Interesting history museum
Jan 2023
There is a great selection of jade and other materials in this museum and the art of it is wonderful.
Written 25 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Robert L
Amherst, MA1,554 contributions
Redundant exhibits
Jan 2023 • Couples
This museum is in a very modern building. Tourists pay 3x the price of everyone else.
There are 5 stories....but I felt 100s of pieces of jade were all too similar. 1000s of pottery which also seemed too similar. Not worth the steep price.
Written 7 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
IlyaNJ
Marlboro, NJ944 contributions
Superb
Dec 2022
This is really more of a museum of indigenous cultures, offering four floors of exhibits related to all aspects of pre-Columbian societies, including some interactive games for the kids, and a lot of information. Of course, plenty of jade and tons of ceramics artifacts as well.
Written 6 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MFK4
Victoria, Canada59 contributions
Highly recommended
Oct 2022
This is a fascinating museum that is more anthropological than anything else nonetheless jade is in the centre of everything. They have an amazingly well preserved of intact artifacts dating into the BC era.
Written 23 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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JADE MUSEUM (San Jose) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Jade Museum
Jade Museum is open:
  • Sun - Sat 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Jade Museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 3 Jade Museum tours on Tripadvisor