Museums in Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo packs an unusual number of museums into its old quarter, from the Museo de las Casas Reales inside a former royal court building to the Alcazar de Colon, the restored palace of Diego Columbus. Together they hold colonial armour, period furniture, maritime maps, and Taino artefacts that set the scene for everything else you will see in the city.

Museum visits work well in the heat of midday, when the thick stone walls keep the galleries cool. Combining a museum or two with an outdoor stop such as Los Tres Ojos gives a balanced day: history under cover in the morning, the open-air lagoons when the afternoon light softens.