National Archaeological Museum Aruba image

National Archaeological Museum Aruba

Archaeological museum

Museum in a Dutch Colonial building complex with artifacts from 5,000 years of Amerindian culture. People often mention museum, Aruba, history, island, free, visit, learn, nice, informative, worth,


Address

Schelpstraat 42, Oranjestad, Aruba

Contact

+297 582 8979

Rating on Google Maps

4.50 (207 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Sunday: Closed
  • Monday: 9 am to 5 pm
  • Tuesday: 9 am to 5 pm
  • Wednesday: 9 am to 5 pm
  • Thursday: 9 am to 5 pm
  • Friday: 9 am to 5 pm
  • Saturday: Closed

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: museum (27) Aruba (22) history (22) island (9) free (9) visit (9) learn (7) nice (7) informative (7) worth (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Alda S. 1 year ago on Google
    Beautiful museum, definitely worth visiting. It offers a great opportunity to learn about Aruba’s history.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Rayven K. 1 year ago on Google
    Quick beautiful stop in the midst of the larger shopping district. Part of it is currently under construction but it's got a nice set of small buildings between gardens that highlights some island history. Free to walk through.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chicken P. 6 years ago on Google
    Located right in the middle of downtown. This is a wonderful site to explore. Very educational and fun for the whole family!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mark F. 1 year ago on Google
    Although one area of the museum was foregoing renovations, this was an excellent and free stop for my family. The artifacts are well curated allowing an in depth glimpse of the people who once were the only inhabitants of this wonderful island. Highly recommend!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tango T. 1 year ago on Google
    Interesting free museum on the trolly loop. Walkable from the cruise port.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tiffany M. 9 months ago on Google
    Definitely needs a repair to their elevator if you aren’t able to go up the stairs but definitely accessible and a great place to visit. Enjoyed learning more history about the island right before going to the Alto Vista Chapel!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Kate B. 5 years ago on Google
    Have tried to visit twice, a year apart. Both times it was closed indefinitely.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Henriette W. 4 years ago on Google
    Very nice. You can learn something about the history of Aruba.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 James S. 6 years ago on Google
    Arrived at 11am on Wednesday to find it wasn't open. No explanation given.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 george s. 6 years ago on Google
    Was told it was open, when I arrived they said closed for renovations.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Robert P. 1 year ago on Google
    A nice small museum. Lots of interpretive signage, several languages, including English. It was under construction and thought it was closed, but the entrance on the side was open. Interesting local artifacts with 1000s of years of history to tell. No charge to visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kenneth P. 1 year ago on Google
    Fun museum filled with rich history, close to the cruise port and its free! Definitely worth a visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Adaobi K. 7 years ago on Google
    First off, it's free! Which is amazing given how much this museum has to offer. I learned so much about Aruba and its diverse history.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Willie S. 11 months ago on Google
    Cute area for photo-ops. Vibrant elegant taste of Aruban architecture and culture
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Esther P. 7 years ago on Google
    A small but excellent museum. Information is correct and not too much or too few and they have some nice objects gathered in their displays.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Paul B. 3 months ago on Google New
    Beautiful and historic price is $ 5 U
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Aria B. 2 years ago on Google
    Great place to learn about Aruban Archaeology.

  • 4/5 Donald B. 1 year ago on Google
    A very interesting Museum. It's free and worth seeing.

  • 5/5 A I. 1 year ago on Google
    Small, but a very well organised museum. A lot of interactive items. Great place to learn about Aruban and Amerindian history. Admission is free.

  • 5/5 John H. 2 years ago on Google
    Great place to learn the history of Aruba. The displays are very professionally done. Free admission adds icing to the cake!

  • 5/5 Monica B. 2 years ago on Google
    Had a really pleasant and educational time in the museum! Went on a week day in the morning and there were very few visitors. Very engaging with information boards, artefacts, screens and video's. The building(s) themselves are beautiful monuments that were renovated recently. Some books about the history/archaelogy of the island are also sold.

  • 5/5 Caresse I. 1 year ago on Google
    This will always be the Home of my Opá. So greatful the Soul of the residence may experience the Good Use the museum has given her, in keeping us connected to beautiful pieces of the past that form part who we are in present.

  • 5/5 S L. 1 year ago on Google
    Excellent (and free!) museum. The whole family enjoyed it.

  • 4/5 Joscelin T. 1 year ago on Google
    Worth visiting to get some historical background. New building with airco. Well laid out exhibition.

  • 5/5 Lacey E. 1 year ago on Google
    We had fun learning about the history of Aruba through archeological artifacts. It was really clean and well organized with lots of stuff to look at.

  • 5/5 Kelly G. 1 year ago on Google
    This museum was very interactive with things my 7 & 9 year olds enjoyed, as well as things the adults enjoyed!

  • 5/5 Mar K. 1 year ago on Google
    Museum of Aruba. Interesting pieces of local history. Really informative. Good for kids. Aprox. time for the visit - 30-60 minutes. No entrance fee. Toilet on premises.

  • 5/5 carolyn b. 1 year ago on Google
    A must see to learn about Aruba. Well laid out. Very informative

  • 5/5 Rizo L. 10 months ago on Google
    Interesting and it will soon grow in size, therefore they will be able to expose more archeological articles.

  • 4/5 Maria Fernanda B. 10 months ago on Google
    I went to an event. Mucha gente dushi..... A poet narrated her story in poetry. Her grandmother lived in that house where today is the national archaeology.

  • 5/5 Carl W. 8 months ago on Google
    Small museum but very informative. Show the history of Aruba and how the country’s culture evolved into the melting pot of today. There are so many nationalities in Aruba that majority of the local speaks 4 languages (English, Spanish, Papiamento and Dutch).

  • 5/5 David S. 7 months ago on Google
    One of the eight blue horse statues seen around Oranjestad, Aruba, stands outside the National Archaeological Museum. The statues recall 17th century horse trading on Aruba when Oranjestad was known as Paardenbaai (Horse Bay).

  • 4/5 patty h. 5 months ago on Google
    Had a little bit of time before catching our flight so jumped in to check out museum. Nice opportunity to learn some of the history of the island and view various artifacts. A break from the heat in a well air conditioned environment was a nice addition 😉 Free but donations appreciated.

  • 5/5 goodkine 3 months ago on Google New
    Amazing architecture... just look at these buildings... A highlight (pictured) is an old seafaring canoe... many similarities to Hawaii with regard to cultural sea exploration... It seems there are highlighted destinations within Aruba that are adorned with an impressive form of guerilla marketing displaying art via large blue horses.. here at the museum, you'll find one of those majestic crafted pieces as well...

  • 4/5 Phone 1. 4 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) When I was free admission. The pieces were well preserved. The place is fresh and pleasant. (Original) Cusndo fui estsba gratuita la entrada. Las piezas estaban bien conservedas. El lugar es freso y agradable.

  • 5/5 Trevor Brian H. 4 years ago on Google
    Really nice the island history

  • 1/5 Edmira C. 4 years ago on Google
    Said was open but nobody there... i had to pay parkinglot and couldn't get to see anuthing from the museum

  • 2/5 Jack L. 4 years ago on Google
    This Museum was under renovation and there was no signs to inform you. There was a display in a lobby area that was quite small and limited in scope.

  • 4/5 Andrea M. 4 years ago on Google
    Interesting background information on Aruba.

  • 2/5 Catherine W. 4 years ago on Google
    $5, no tour, two rooms with information on hat weaving. A tower. That's it.

  • 5/5 Shahaira L. 4 years ago on Google
    Aruba Heritage good to know

  • 5/5 Joe S. 9 years ago on Google
    nice museum. excellent history of the island which ties in nicely to the Caribbean prehistory. tough to find since most streets don't have signage but worth the trek.

  • 5/5 Markus H. 3 years ago on Google
    The museum offers an in depth and well laid out journey through the history and culture of the ABC islands, the Amerindians and the current Arubian society.

  • 5/5 lyara z. 3 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Super informative (Original) Super informative

  • 5/5 Elvira J. 3 years ago on Google
    Beautifull museum.Clean and good organized. I learned a lot about Aruba

  • 5/5 Charles C. 3 years ago on Google
    Simply said - If you wonder about how this little island got started, go to the archeological museum of ARUBA

  • 5/5 Pacha K. 4 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Fsntastico to visit with the family (Original) Fsntastico para visitar en familia

  • 5/5 Andrew B. 4 years ago on Google
    The museum is very beautiful and professional. it certainly is a place that you should visit on Aruba!

  • 4/5 Robert R. 2 years ago on Google
    Nice little museum showcasing local history. Free entry and friendly staff.

  • 5/5 Lucille Gaye D. 4 years ago on Google
    Very well curated - got a whole new perspective of Aruba and added to knowledge of the Caribbean overall!

  • 5/5 Shairie R. 4 years ago on Google
    Very informative and interesting history related to the original Island inhabitants!

  • 4/5 Christophe G. 4 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Small archaeological museum that you can visit in about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Quite a few people but it's still a good museum, well documented in English. (Original) Petit musée archéologique que vous pouvez visiter en environ 30 min à 1 heure. Assez peu de monde mais ça reste un bon musée, bien documenté en Anglais.

  • 5/5 Gian S. 4 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Excellent (Original) Excelente

  • 5/5 Moises F. 6 years ago on Google
    Beautiful place!!

  • 5/5 Contacto G. 7 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Excellent place... (Original) Excelente lugar...

  • 4/5 FDA/ R. 8 years ago on Google
    The authentic archive of Aruba geological and archeological heritage. ****

  • 5/5 Alison M. 2 years ago on Google
    Fascinating and thought-provoking. We spent a rainy afternoon here during our week in Aruba and got such a valuable grounding in the history of the island and its people. Aruba is much, much more than a beach vacation destination, as this museum makes beautifully and abundantly clear. Highly recommend.

  • 5/5 Daniel H. 4 years ago on Google
    Is a beutiful calm place

  • 5/5 Shaughnessy H. 2 years ago on Google
    We were incredibly impressed with this free museum. It answered a lot of the questions we had about the island's history (its indigenous peoples, colonisation, etc) in an informative and engaging way, in a lovely building. I know it isn't what a lot of people are thinking about doing when they visit Aruba, but if you are remotely interested it is 100% worth checking out.

  • 5/5 Amy B. 2 years ago on Google
    Cute museum! Definitely worth the stop. We had to ask locals how to get there and it wasn't readily apparent that we had arrived until we walked in. Learning about the history or Aruba and the people was interesting!

  • 3/5 Nasrin Y. 2 years ago on Google
    Said it was open but was closed upon arrival. They’re open Monday check their website


Call +297 582 8979 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance

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