Afro-Antillean Museum of Panama (Museo Afro-Antillano de Panama)
PAN
There are many opportunities around Panama City to learn about the famous Panama Canal. To understand more about many of the people who helped build it, however, head to the Afro-Antillean Museum of Panama (Museo Afro-Antillano de Panama). The small museum focuses on the Afro-Antillean peoples and their role in the canal.
The Afro-Antillean Museum of Panama appeals to travelers with an interest in local history and people. The museum highlights the role of Panama’s Afro-Antillean people in the country's development, celebrates their culture, and elevates the contributions of tens of thousands of Caribbean workers. Travelers can visit independently on their way to or from Casco Viejo or as part of a guided Panama City tour. Private, customizable tours visit the museum on request.
Take a moment to admire the museum's building—it's a former church built by Barbadian workers in 1910.
It won’t take you long to tour the museum as the exhibits and historic photographs are in one room.
There’s a small entry fee to the museum, and the fee is discounted for university and school students.
The museum is located in the El Marañón area in the south of Panama City, north of the popular Casco Viejo neighborhood. You can get a taxi to the museum from other parts of Panama City, but it’s a short walk from the subway’s 5 de Mayo station. The subway is inexpensive, clean, safe, and easy to use.
The museum is open Tuesday–Sunday from morning until mid-afternoon. It’s a good stop if you’re looking for an indoor activity to shelter from the rain or sun. May is Black Heritage Month in Panama, and the museum puts on special activities and events in celebration.
Not far from the Afro-Antillean Museum in Casco Viejo is the Panama Canal Museum (Museo del Canal). This is the place to find out about the famous feat of engineering from a more technical and geopolitical perspective. The two museums complement each other, and you’ll leave both with a well-rounded understanding of the canal’s significance.
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