Cartagena has some interesting museums and poignant artwork and luckily the top museums are all concentrated close to each other so you can just walk between them. I would suggest you try the San Pedro Claver Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Palace of the Inquisition and the street murals of Getsemani. The Museum of Modern Art and San Pedro Claver Museum are across from each other in San Pedro Plaza, the Naval Museum is on the back side of San Pedro Church and the Palace of the Inquisition is a 3 minute walk down the street all in the Walled City. Although the best artwork may be the street murals on the walls in the Getsemani neighborhood which is just a 4 minute walk from the Walled City.
San Pedro Claver Museum
This museum is a church dedicated to San Pedro Claver, the patron saint of enslaved people and is the church where the Saint lived and died. There is a small garden and rooms with religious artwork and artifacts and some contemporary art exhibitions. (San Pedro Claver Plaza, Carrera 4 -entrance fee COP 11,000)
The corpse of San Pedro is on display for all right to see under the alter!
On the left side of the church is large room with religious painting, sculptures and artifacts.
On the second floor is the room where San Pedro lived and an exhibit of more contemporary Afro-Caribbean art.
Palace of the Inquisition
The Palace of Inquisition is an eighteenth-century colonial building which was the seat of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Colombia. The museum tells the history of the inquisition here including torture and execution equipment and a garden where people were executed with a guillotine. On the second floor is an art exhibition of colonial era paintings, an old model map of Cartagena and some indigenous artifacts showing some of the history of Cartagena from before the Spanish conquest to the Independence Revolution. There is also a rotating exhibition of modern artists on this floor. In front of the Palace is Bolivar Park, a pretty park to relax at. (46, Bolivar PlazaCarrera 3 33- entrance fee COP 20,000)
Museum of Modern Art
This is a small modern art museum featuring work from top South American artists most notably Enrique Grau, one of Cartagena’s most famous 20th century artists Enrique Grau. (Calle 31 #69b69 – entrance fee COP 8000)
Naval Museum of the Caribbean
The Naval Museum is a museum of military history and naval construction from the Spanish conquest through the Independence Revolution to the present including the numerous pirate attacks. (P.o Alfonso XII, s/n, 30201 – entrance fee COP 16,000)
Getsemani Neighborhood- Street Art
Getsemani is the cool neighborhood with nice restaurants, cafes and shops but the real draw is the beautiful street murals. Take some time to stroll around and find all the beautiful art adorning the walls and streets.
Conclusion
Cartagena has a number of great museums to see including the murals of Getsemani. They are all located close to each other and convenient to other tourists spots so its easy to pop in to enjoy and it gives a good view into Cartagena’s history and culture. If you find any other great places or some hidden murals, please let us know and any comments or questions are always welcome, enjoy exploring.
