Attraction
Museo del Oro
The Banco de la República's Gold Museum on Parque Santander holds tens of thousands of pre-Columbian pieces, including the Muisca raft linked to the El Dorado…
Museo Botero
A free museum in a colonial mansion holding more than 200 works donated by Fernando Botero, from his own paintings to pieces by Picasso, Monet and Dalí.
At a glance
- Type
- Art museum
- Area
- La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia
- Official site
- banrepcultural.org
Good to know
- Free entry
Why we recommend it
The Museo Botero exists because of one act of generosity. In 2000 Fernando Botero, Colombia's best-known artist, gave the Banco de la República a collection of 208 works: 123 of his own paintings, drawings and sculptures, and 85 pieces by other international artists from his private collection. The museum opened free of charge on 1 November 2000 in a colonial mansion in La Candelaria that the bank had acquired, and Botero himself adapted the rooms to show the collection. In 2012 the Ministry of Culture declared the donation an asset of national cultural interest.
Botero's own rooms show the full-volume figures, still lifes and portraits for which he is famous, including his version of the Mona Lisa. The collection also contains part of his first series on violence in Colombia. A condition of the gift was that the works stay in place, so the hang still reflects the artist's choices.
For many visitors the surprise is the international collection. Botero gathered work by artists such as Corot, Renoir, Monet, Pissarro, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Bonnard, Picasso, Miró, Dalí, Chagall, Giacometti, Francis Bacon, Calder, Henry Moore and Max Ernst, so a short visit takes you from French Impressionism through to post-war abstraction. The museum is often described as holding one of the most important modern art collections in Latin America, and it draws more than half a million visitors a year.
Entry is free. The city's tourism information lists the museum as closed on Tuesdays rather than Mondays, which is useful if the Museo del Oro is your other plan, since that museum closes on Mondays. Allow around an hour and a half for both collections. The museum suits art lovers, families and anyone with only a day in the city, and it is a comfortable choice when afternoon rain sets in.
The museum is on Calle 11 in the heart of La Candelaria, a block or so from Plaza de Bolívar. From here you can walk on to the cathedral, the Museo Santa Clara or the Museo del Oro. Check opening hours on the Banco de la República cultural website before you go, as they can change.
Museo Botero FAQs
Is the Museo Botero free?
Yes. The museum has been free to visit since it opened on 1 November 2000.
How many works are in the collection?
208 works: 123 by Fernando Botero and 85 by other international artists from his private collection.
Which other artists are on show?
The international collection includes work by Monet, Renoir, Degas, Picasso, Miró, Dalí, Chagall, Giacometti, Bacon, Calder and Henry Moore, among others.
Which day is it closed?
The city's tourism information lists it as closed on Tuesdays. Check the Banco de la República website for current hours.
How long should I allow?
About an hour and a half covers both Botero's rooms and the international collection.
Is the Botero Mona Lisa here?
Yes. His version of the Mona Lisa is one of the museum's best-known pieces.
Where is it?
On Calle 11 in La Candelaria, close to Plaza de Bolívar.
Who runs the museum?
The Banco de la República, Colombia's central bank, which received Botero's donation in 2000.