National Palace of Culture (Palacio Nacional de la Cultura) Tours

In a city infamous for a lacking cultural center, Managua’s National Palace of Culture stands as a testament to Nicaragua’s rich history. The complex houses the National Museum (Museo Nacional Dioclesiano Chávez), the National Archives, and the National Library (Biblioteca Nacional Rubén Darío) all under one stunning neoclassical roof.

The sprawling National Palace of Culture is best known to visitors as the home of the National Museum. Walk through the museum’s nine galleries filled with pre-Columbian ceramics, dinosaur bones, Latin American paintings, and more. General admission includes access to English-speaking guides who help explain the many exhibits. Bundle your visit with trips to the nearby Old Cathedral of Managua (Catedral de Managua), Plaza de la Revolución, and Hotel el Gran Marquez for an easy all-in-one discovery of top Managua attractions. Or for a more comprehensive and hassle-free experience, join a larger city tour that includes the National Palace and more far-flung points of interest in the city.

The best way to reach the National Palace of Culture is in one of Managua’s many inexpensive taxis. A number of nearby bus stops also service the neighborhood, which is right by the malecón on the shores of Lake Managua.

The National Museum is open weekdays from 8am to 5pm and weekends from 9am to 4pm. For a stunning view of the National Palace, visit when it is lit up (though closed) at night.  

In 1978, the National Palace had housed the Nicaraguan parliament for over 50 years. Then, on Aug. 22, of that year, Sandinista revolutionaries overthrew the Somoza dictatorship, ending the palace’s role as the seat of the Nicaraguan parliament almost overnight.