Theaters plays, concerts and museums are not missing from Bogota's rich cultural agenda. Make sure to check GO – Guia del Ocio and the Going out in Bogota section of The Bogota Post for a listing of what's going on in the Colombian capital every day.
Theaters in Bogota
With over 50 theater venues, the city has a wide array of events to choose from at any moment during the year. Bogotanos are big theater-goers, and the agenda includes both classical and newer, alternative productions.
The yearly Festival Iberamericano de Teatro de Bogota is one of the top cultural events hosted by the city, bringing the work of hundreds of theater companies from all over Latin America to the Bogota public over the span of several weeks in February-March.
You should keep in mind, however, that most plays are in Spanish.
Teatro Colón
Calle 10 #5-32
The most renowned and prestigious theater in the the country, located in the Candelaria historical center, close to the country's most important institutions.
Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santodomingo
Calle 170 #67-51
Teatro Jorge Eliécer Gaitán
Cra 7 #22-47
Teatro La Candelaria
Calle 12 #2-59
Teatro Leon de Greiff
Cra 45 #26-85
Teatro Libre
Calle 12b #2-44
Teatro Colsubsidio
Calle 26 #25-40
Teatro Cafam de Bellas Artes
Av. Carrera 68 #90-88
Teatro Nacional La Castellana
Calle 95 #47-15
Casa Teatro Nacional
Cra 20 #37-54
Teatro Artestudio
Cra 8b #57-32
Teatro Leonardus
Cra 21 #127-23
Teatro Astor Plaza
Calle 67 #11-58
Teatro Libélula Dorada
Cra 19 #51-69
Opera and Orchestras in Bogota
Opera is not very popular in Colombia, but the best place to go is the Teatro Colon, in the city center, that occasionally hosts opera performances.
Classical music lovers can, nevertheless, attend one of the concerts of the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra or the National Symphonic Orchestra of Colombia, both of which include in their repertoire works of international as well as Colombian composers.
Museums in Bogota
There are numerous museums in Bogota, and they are a great way to discover Colombia´s history, culture and traditions. From established publicly-funded ones such as the Gold Museum to quirky independent institutions such as the Trash Museum, the offer is worthy of a world-class Latin American metropolis.
Museums are usually open from Tuesday to Sunday, though nonstandard opening times may apply, and close on some of the religious public holidays.
Tickets can be bought at the entrance of each museum, and most museums are free on Sundays. Be aware, however, that most bogotanos also know this, so if you want to avoid the crowds, it is best to visit on a regular day.
Gold Museum
Cra 6 #15-88
Open from Tuesday to Saturday: 9.00 – 18.00 and Sundays 10.00 – 16.00
Arguably the best museum in the country, the museum boasts a collection of thousands of golden artifacts from Precolombian times, gathered from the entire Colombian territory. The collections are grouped geographically, and the museum's modern display offers an excellent educational experience to children and adults alike, and a pleasure to the eye.
National Museum of Colombia
Cra 7 #28-66
Open from Tuesday to Saturday: 10.00 – 18.00 and Sundays 10.00 – 17.00
Functioning in one of the country´s most well-guarded formal prisons, the museum displays a wide collection of objects and works of art that walk the visitor through the length of the tormented Colombian history. An excellent introduction to the country and its complexities.
The Botero Museum
Calle 11 #4-41
Open: Monday, Wednesday to Saturday: 9.00 – 19.00 and Sundays: 10.00 – 17.00
Entrance is free.
A donation from Colombia´s most famous contemporary artist, Fernando Botero, the museum has one of the most important contemporary art collections on the continent and is located in the heart of the historical city center.
Casa de Moneda
Calle 11 #4-93
Open: Monday, Wednesday to Saturday: 9.00 – 19.00 and Sundays: 10.00 – 17.00
Entrance is free.
Hosted in the same restored colonial house as the Botero Museum, this is the numismatic collection of the Colombian National Bank, with temporary exhibitions around a specific but important part of Colombian identity.
Colonial Museum
Cra 6 #9-77
Open: Tuesday to Friday: 9.00 – 17.00 and Saturday, Sunday: 10.00-16.00
Recently reopened after a few years of maintenance, the museum now has a fresh and modern look, and an innovative take on displaying life in the colonial times.
Santa Clara Museum
Cra 8 #8-91
Open: Tuesday to Friday: 9.00 – 17.00 and Saturday, Sunday: 10.00-16.00
A surprisingly beautiful church, in one of the lesser-walked streets of the Candelaria neighbourhood, now restored and opened as a museum. One of Bogota's many hidden gems.
National Police Museum
Calle 9 #9-27
Open: Tuesday to Sunday: 9.00 – 17.00
One of the more unusual museums in the center, for the ones interested in Colombia's forces of order.
El Chicó Museum
Cra 7# 93-01
Open Tuesday to Sunday: 10.00 – 13.00 and 14.00 – 16.30
Closed on public holidays.
A private museum in the Northern Chicó area of the city, it displays the art collection of Mercedes Sierra de Pérez, in an old colonial mansion that dates back to 1620.
Independence Museum (Casa del Florero)
Cra 7 #11-28
Open: Tuesday to Friday: 9.00 – 17.00 and Saturday, Sunday: 10.00-16.00
On the corner of the Bolivar Square, this house, now turned into a museum, is the place where the incident that first sparked the Colombian independence occurred.
Quinta de Bolivar
Calle 21 #4a-31 este
Open: Tuesday to Friday: 9.00 – 17.00 and Saturday, Sunday: 10.00-16.00
Once belonging to South American liberator Simón Bolívar, this is probably the most well-preserved colonial mansion in the city. At the foot of the Montserrate mountain, it is worth visiting not only for its splendid display of furniture, but mostly for its high-altitude tropical garden. Undoubtedly one of the best kept secrets of Bogota.
Centro De Memoria, Paz y Reconciliación
Cra 19b #24-86
Open: Monday to Friday: 8.00 – 17.00
Bogota's only museum dedicated to the memory of the still ongoing conflict that has torn the country for the last half a century. It has temporary exhibitions as well as a permanent monument.
Glass Museum
Cra 1a #6c-75 Sur
Open: Tuesday to Sunday: 9.00 - 17.00
The first community museum in the Bogota, it is located in an old republican house in the now lower-middle class neighborhood of San Cristobal, in the South of the city. Telling a lesser-known story, that of the traditional craft that produced the stained glass windows of many of the churches in town, it is an alternative to the city's many official establishments.
Update 20/08/2018
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