Art & Culture

Museums in Panama City Other Museums Theaters Art Galleries

Religious Festivals Fairs and Festivals Related Links

Last update: December, 2009

Museums in Panama City

Anthropological Museum, Reina Torres de Araúz, Plaza 5 de Mayo. • Tel: (507) 262-8338. Open Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m- 4:00 pm. • Admission: $2.00 tourists, $1.00 adults, $0.50 retirees, $0.50 students and $0.25 children. Exhibits a fine collection of pre-colombian art and a fine collection of gold huacas.

Afro-Antillian Museum, Calle 24 and Avenida Justo Arosemena. • Tel: (507) 262-1668/262-5348 • Email: info@samaap.org • Website: www.samaap.org. Open Tuesday - Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. • Admission: $1.00 adults and $0.25 children. Exhibits photography, domestic and artistic objects of the Afro-West Indian group that helped build the Canal.

Natural Science Museum, Avenida Cuba entre las Calles 29 y 30. • Tel: (507) 225-0645. Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. • Admission: $0.75 adults and $0.25 children. Exhibits geology, paleontology, mammals, reptiles y other species of the fauna, as well as the Panamanian flora.

Panamanian History Museum, Palacio Municipal, in front of Parque Catedral in Casco Viejo (Colonial Panama). • Tel: (507) 228-6231

Religious Art Museum,Casco Viejo (Colonial Panama) in an 18th century chapel, next to the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo where the "Arco Chato" is situated. Remains open from Tuesday to Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. • Admission: $0.75 adults and $0.25 children. • Tel: (507) 228-2897

Panama La Vieja Museum, Artisan market of Panamá Viejo, Open Monday – Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. • Admission: $1.50 adults, $0.50 children and retirees; groups exceeding 20 people pay $1.25 per person. • Tel: (507) 226-8915/226-9364/226-1757 • Fax: (507) 226-7809 • Email: patronato@panamaviejo.org • Website: www.panamaviejo.org

Contemporary Art Museum (M.A.C.), Calle San Blas, Ancón y Avenida de los Mártires. Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m to 4:00 pm. Saturday 9:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. Exhibits art by national and reknowed international artists. Offers a workshop in serigraphy and framing, as well as concerts, conferences and expositions. • Admission: Free. • Tel: (507) 262-3380, (507) 262-8012 • Fax: (507) 262-3376 • Email: info@macpanama.org • Website: www.macpanama.org

Interoceanic Canal Museum, Plaza de la Independencia (Catedral), San Felipe. Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 5:30 p.m. • Admission: $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for children. Exhibits art, independent movies, conferences, speech, and other things. • Tel: (507) 211-1649 • Website: www.museodelcanal.org

Banco Nacional Museum, Calle 34 y Avenida Cuba. Exhibits a fine collection of coins and stamps dating back to the 16th century. • Tel: (507) 225-0640

History Museum, Municipal Palace of Plaza Catedral in Casco Viejo (Colonial Panama). Open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday. • Admission: $1.00 adults and $0.25 children. • Tel: (507) 228-6231/228-6331

Other Museums in the country

Museum of History and Tradition of Penonomé, Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Calle San Antonio , Penonomé, Province of Coclé. • Tel: (507) 997-8490.

El Caño Archaelogical Park, Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday 9:30 a.m. to mid-night. El Caño, Natá, Province of Coclé. • Tel: (507) 987-9352. Dedicated to exalt the indigenous culture of Cocle.

José D. de Obaldía History and Art Museum, Calle 8, Davíd, Province of Chriquí. • Tel: (507) 775-7839.

San Pablo History Museum el Nuevo, Province of Chiriquí. • Tel: 775-7918.

Herrera Museum, Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday from 9:30 a.m. 12 p.m. Julio Arjona Ave. y Calle Manuel M. Arjona, Chitré, Province of Herrera. • Tel: (507) 996-0077.

Colonial Religious Art Museum, Open from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Parita, Province of Herrera.

Nationality Museum, Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Calle José Vallarino , Los Santos, Province of Los Santos.

Belisario Porras Museum, Dedicated to the life of Dr. Belisario Porras, three times president of the republic. Las Tablas, Province of Los Santos. • Tel: (507) 994-6326.

Manuel F. Zarate Museum, Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Guararé, Province of Los Santos. • Tel: (507) 994-5644.

Principal Theaters of the City

Plays are in Spanish except for the Ancon Theatre Guild that are in English.
Ancón Theater Guild, Ancón. • Tel. (507) 212-0060/212-0024.

Aba Theater, Urb. Los Angeles Bethania. • Tel: (507) 260-6316/236-3258

Anayansi Theater, Centro de Convenciones Atlapa. • Tel: (507) 226-7000

Balboa Theater, Balboa Canal Zone. • Tel: (507) 228-0327/262-1952

La Huaca Theater, Centro de Convenciones Atlapa. • Tel: (507) 226-7000

Nacional Theater, Cl. 3 Catedral and Ave. B. • Tel: (507) 262-3525/212-2922

Art Galleries

Art Americas, Ave. Aquilino de la Guardia • Tel: 214-9612

Bernheim Gallery, Calle 50, Edif. Madison • Tel: 223-0012 • Fax: 223-0009 • Email: bernheim@psi.net.pa

Enmarcados La Acuarela, Vía Porras • Tel: 226-2467

Enmarcados Liner Gallery, Cl. 50 y 56 • Tel: 269-7029

Frames & Gallery, Cl. 50 y Vía Cicuentenario • Tel: 270-7502

Galeria Arteconsult, S.A., Ave. Manuel Espinosa Batista • Tel: 269-1523 • Email: artecons@orbi.net

Galeria Artegma, Ave. Samuel Lewis • Tel: 263-3816; Camino Real Bethania • Tel: 236-6740

Galeria y Enmarcados Habitante, Cl. 48 y Cl. Uruguay • Tel: 264-6470

Imagen, Cl. 50 • Tel: 226-2649 • Fax: 226-8989 • Email: imagen@pty.com

Legacy Fine Arts, Ave. Balboa, Calle 50 Este • Tel: 265-8141 • Email: legacy@sinfo.net

Marcorama, Ave. Ramon Arias • Tel: 223-5001 • Fax: 223-5002; Ave. Balboa • Tel: 269-0643; El Dorado • Tel: 260-5846 • Email: imagen@pty.com

Marquetería Dalí, Cl. Israel • Tel: 226-1018

Religious Festivals

Panama's main religion is Roman Catholicism resulting in an abundance of religious festivals and saint's days. Each district has its own particular saint and individual style of celebration so that there are frequent opportunities for the visitor to participate and it is a good way to experience first-hand some of Panama's culture. The following is a list for 2009.

Jan. 15 — Cristo Esquipulas in Antón, Cocle province
Feb. 2 — La Virgen de Candelaria de Antón, various provinces
Feb.14 — La Virgen de Lourdes, Guararé, Los Santos province
Feb. 27 — March 9 Jesús Nazareno de Atalaya, Veraguas province
Mar 7 — San Juan de Dios, various provinces
Mar 18 — San Felipe in Portobello, Colon province
April 2 — San Francisco de Padua in Río de Jesús, Darien province
April 5-12 — Holy Week, country-wide
May 3 — Nuestro Senor de los Milagros, La Mesa, Veraguas province
May 13 — San Isidro in various provinces
May 16 — Religious Festival of Cativa, Colón province
May 22 — Santa Rita in various provinces
June 11 — Corpus Christi in La Villa, Los Santos and in Puerto Lindo and Portobelo, Colon province
June 13 — San Antonio de Padua - Puerto Armuelles, Chiriquí province
June 24 — St. John the Baptist in Chitré & other provinces
June 25 — Santiago Apostol in Ocú, Herrrera province
June 29 — San Pedro Monagrillo, Chitré, Herrera province
June 30 — San Pablo, Pedasi y El Cocal, Los Santos province
July 16 — La Virgen del Carmen, various provinces
July 20 — Santa Librada, Los Santos province
July 25 — Santiago Apostol in Santiago, Veraguas province
Aug. 1 — Nuestra Senora de los Angeles in Guacalca, Chiriquí province
Aug. 4 — Santo Domingo de Guzman in Herrera and Los Santos provinces
Aug. 10 — San Lorenzo, various provinces
Aug. 16 — San Roque, various provinces
Aug. 20 — San Bernardo, Los Santos province
Aug. 30 — Santa Rosa, various provinces
Sept. 21 — Santo Tomas de Villa Nueva, Los Santos province
Sept. 24 — Virgen de las Mercedes, Herrera and Los Santos provinces
Sept. 29 — San Miguel Arcangel, Herrera and Veraguas provinces
Oct. 4 — San Francisco de Assisi, various provinces
Oct. 5 — La Virgen del Rosario, Guararé, Los Santos province
Oct.16 — Santa Eduviges, Sabanitas, Colón province
Oct. 21 — Festival del Cristo Negro, Portobelo, Colón province
Oct. 28 — San Judas Tadeo, various provinces
Nov. 25 — Santa Catalina, Pedasi, Los Santos province
Dec. 4 — Santa Barbara en Las Minas, Herrera and Los Santos provinces
Dec. 17 — La Virgen de Guadalupe, various provinces

Fairs and Festivals

Panama's fairs and festivals are colorful and lively. Country-folk are friendly and welcoming so they are excellent venues for visitors to get a taste of the 'real' Panama. Many of them take place in the dry season (December through March) when the weather is fine but they also take place at other times of the year as you can see in the schedule for 2009 which follows.

Jan 8-18 — Boquete Flower & Coffee Fair, Chiriquí province
Jan 15-18 — Agricultural Fair of Tanara, Chep, Panama provinces
Jan 15-19 — San Sebastian Fair, Ocú , Herrera province
Jan 21-Feb 1 — Chorrera International Fair, Panama province
Jan 29-Feb 1 — Santa Fé Fair, Veraguas province
Jan 29-Feb 1 — Orange Fair in Churuquita Grande, Coclé province
Jan 30-Feb 8 — La Candelaria in Bugaba, Chiriquí province
Feb 11-16 — Veraguas Fair in Sona, Veraguas province
Feb 21-22 — Afro/Antillean Fair, Panama City
March 5-8 — Darién Fair in Santa Fé, Darien province
March 12-22 — David International Fair, Chiriqui province
March 13-15 — La Chitra Fair in Calobre, Veraguas province
March 18-22 — San José de Tolé Fair, Chiriquí province
March 26-April 5 — Colón Fair, Colon province
April 8-12 — Boquete Orchid Fair, Chiriqui province
April 16-26 — Azuero International Fair, Azuero province
June 12-16 — Corpus Cristi Festival, La Villa de Los Santos, Los Santos province
July 16-21 — Festival de la Pollera Las Tablas, Los Santos province
July 22 — Pollera Festival - Panama
Aug 13-16 — Festival del Manito, Ocú, Herrera province
Aug 28-30 — Flower of the Holy Spirit Fair, Las Minas, Herrera province
Sept 11-20 — International Fair of the Sea, Bocas del Toro province
Sept 22-27 — International Fair of Changuinola, Bocas del Toro province
Sept 24-27 — National Mejorana Festival, Guararé, Los Santos province
Oct 14-18 — Toro Guapo Festival, Antón, Coclé province
Oct 22 — Coffee Festival in Río Sereno, Chiriquí province
Oct. 21 — Black Christ Festival, Portobelo, Colón province
Dec. 10-13 — Highland Fair, Volcan, Chiriquí province

Related Links

National Culture Institute (INAC) website (Spanish)
Asociación Panameña de Museólogos (Spanish)
Asociación Nacional de Conciertos (Spanish)