Museo Casa de la Memoria

The Museo Casa de la Memoria is the place to understand the violence that shaped Medellín in recent decades and the city's efforts to move beyond it. It was created as an initiative of the city's unit for the care and reparation of victims, and it gathers and tells the memories of the Colombian armed conflict in Antioquia. Its stated aim is to help visitors understand the conflict and other forms of violence in Medellín, Antioquia and Colombia through open and plural dialogue, and so to help prevent them from happening again.

The museum describes itself as a house for meeting and dialogue rather than a conventional history museum. Its programme includes the participatory reconstruction of memories from different territories, looking at the causes, actors and effects of the conflict, as well as educational work on memory and peace-building and a project that encourages citizens to see themselves as agents of peace. Current shows include Medellín: memorias de violencia y resistencia, an exhibition on the city's experience of violence and resistance, and Sybir: historias de supervivencia, which runs until 30 April 2027. Virtual tours, such as Paz! Creer para ver, are also available on the website.

The building was designed by a collective of Colombian architects for EDU, the city's urban development agency. Its design was conceived as a passage from darkness towards light, and it stands in Parque Bicentenario, a park created to mark two hundred years of Colombian independence along the Santa Elena stream, in the Boston neighbourhood.

Entry is free. The museum opens Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00 and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 16:00, and groups can reserve visits in advance through the website. The subject matter is serious, so parents of younger children may want to read about the current exhibitions first; one recent show, running until 8 November 2026, presented the views of children and teenagers on a life free of violence.

Allow about an hour and a half. The museum is a sober counterpoint to the city's parks and nightlife, and it gives useful context before a visit to Comuna 13 or a historical walking tour of the centre.