Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá

Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá

Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá
4.5
09:00 - 18:00
Tuesday
09:00 - 18:00
Wednesday
09:00 - 18:00
Thursday
09:00 - 18:00
Friday
09:00 - 18:00
Saturday
09:00 - 18:00
Sunday
09:00 - 18:00
About
The Museo del Canal is a non-profit institution at the service of society, which rescues and promotes the historical memory of Panama and its Canal, being a platform for art and culture in all its expressions. We create memorable experiences that exalt Panama's heritage, promote diversity and sustainability, and encourage learning, research, enjoyment, reflection, and cultural enrichment.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Kim G
    Pacific Grove, California3,187 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Comprehensive Panama Canal History
    My husband & I greatly appreciated the comprehensive information on the history of the Panama Canal from inception to completion, housed within the “Museo Del Canal” in Casco Viejo. The Panama Canal proved an astounding engineering feat for numerous reasons, particularly profound for having occurred within the 19th and 20th Centuries, along with the fight against imposing natural elements. The Panama Canal Museum is housed within the 1874 building where United States and French companies, working on the Panama Canal, performed business. We greatly appreciated that our self-guided, educational visit prior to the viewing of the Panama Canal, offered us a greater understanding of the imposing challenges to construct this gem to the entire world.
    Visited May 2022
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 17 April 2023
  • Travelling_Bird
    Hitchin, United Kingdom90 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating insight into canal history
    Visited with primary aged children. An unexpected gem as we learnt so much. In the early exhibitions the English summaries weren’t great but the second floor was well translated and provided a great insight into the canal’s history. We stayed for about an hour and a half. Kids’ interest maintained with interactive exhibitions.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 23 May 2023
  • James H
    Forest of Dean, United Kingdom34 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A remarkable museum!
    One of the best museums I've visited! The narrative of the construction of the canal was very well articulated, and we really enjoyed the parts on the social history in the 20th century. Great exhibits and well priced.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 2 August 2023
  • Peter K
    14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    More the Just the Canal
    Well worth visiting. It’s not just about the canal. It’s also about preservation of the local environment, the history of the area, the dynamics between Panamá and the US, and it culminates with an exhibition devoted to Bush’s invasion and how it affected the citizens of the city and the country.
    ¡Thank you for the visit and kind words!
    Written 6 October 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Written 26 August 2023
  • Colin D
    21 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Exhbuts About the Canal and its History
    This museum has a ton of information about the history of Panama and the role of the canal in that history. We had done a free walking tour in the morning where our guide had already given us some good background on the country and the canal. Therefore, a lot of what we saw at the museum felt familiar. There are good English summaries of the longer Spanish captions. You could easily spend two hours here. We tired after an hour and a half or so. Even if you only have an hour, it could still be worth dropping in.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 23 November 2023
  • Smokey1611
    Florida529 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great History of Panama and the Canal.
    Outstanding museum of the canal and the history of Panama. The neighborhood and courtyards are really beautiful. The museum will take a full day to see if you want to see it all. Be sure to get a translator to carry with you. They are $1.50. Also stop for the movie but there is no place to sit but the floor. They need to dedicate a section with benches for it.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 17 December 2023
  • Shanelle
    Santa Monica, California2,806 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Informative museum with plenty of details about the Canal
    Came here for about three hours to spend time in an air conditioned space during a hot Saturday afternoon. It’s $20 for non-residents and a student discount is offered if you have ID. Credit cards and cash accepted. They do allow backpacks and drinks inside. Bathrooms are located on the first level and were very clean. The exhibits went very in-depth into the history of the canal and there was another exhibit about the biodiversity on one of Panama’s islands and another on Panamanian history. There were some English descriptions but it was mainly in Spanish. It was an interesting space to be in and you learn a lot about history while you’re there. No need to buy tickets ahead of time; there was no line and the process of going through a brief security check and buying the tickets was smooth.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 4 February 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,096 reviews
Excellent
1,128
Very good
718
Average
198
Poor
38
Terrible
14

Shanelle
Santa Monica, CA2,806 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Solo
Came here for about three hours to spend time in an air conditioned space during a hot Saturday afternoon. It’s $20 for non-residents and a student discount is offered if you have ID. Credit cards and cash accepted. They do allow backpacks and drinks inside. Bathrooms are located on the first level and were very clean. The exhibits went very in-depth into the history of the canal and there was another exhibit about the biodiversity on one of Panama’s islands and another on Panamanian history. There were some English descriptions but it was mainly in Spanish. It was an interesting space to be in and you learn a lot about history while you’re there. No need to buy tickets ahead of time; there was no line and the process of going through a brief security check and buying the tickets was smooth.
Written 4 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Smokey1611
Florida529 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
Outstanding museum of the canal and the history of Panama. The neighborhood and courtyards are really beautiful. The museum will take a full day to see if you want to see it all. Be sure to get a translator to carry with you. They are $1.50. Also stop for the movie but there is no place to sit but the floor. They need to dedicate a section with benches for it.
Written 17 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Colin D
21 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
This museum has a ton of information about the history of Panama and the role of the canal in that history. We had done a free walking tour in the morning where our guide had already given us some good background on the country and the canal. Therefore, a lot of what we saw at the museum felt familiar. There are good English summaries of the longer Spanish captions. You could easily spend two hours here. We tired after an hour and a half or so. Even if you only have an hour, it could still be worth dropping in.
Written 23 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Peter K
14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023
Well worth visiting. It’s not just about the canal. It’s also about preservation of the local environment, the history of the area, the dynamics between Panamá and the US, and it culminates with an exhibition devoted to Bush’s invasion and how it affected the citizens of the city and the country.
Written 26 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
¡Thank you for the visit and kind words!
Written 6 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

James H
Forest of Dean, UK34 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
One of the best museums I've visited! The narrative of the construction of the canal was very well articulated, and we really enjoyed the parts on the social history in the 20th century. Great exhibits and well priced.
Written 2 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Travelling_Bird
Hitchin, UK90 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Family
Visited with primary aged children. An unexpected gem as we learnt so much. In the early exhibitions the English summaries weren’t great but the second floor was well translated and provided a great insight into the canal’s history. We stayed for about an hour and a half. Kids’ interest maintained with interactive exhibitions.
Written 23 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kim G
Pacific Grove, CA3,187 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Couples
My husband & I greatly appreciated the comprehensive information on the history of the Panama Canal from inception to completion, housed within the “Museo Del Canal” in Casco Viejo. The Panama Canal proved an astounding engineering feat for numerous reasons, particularly profound for having occurred within the 19th and 20th Centuries, along with the fight against imposing natural elements.
The Panama Canal Museum is housed within the 1874 building where United States and French companies, working on the Panama Canal, performed business. We greatly appreciated that our self-guided, educational visit prior to the viewing of the Panama Canal, offered us a greater understanding of the imposing challenges to construct this gem to the entire world.
Written 17 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

scotdoc2015
Birmingham, UK204 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
Worth a visit prior to your actual tour. Geo- political- historical- anthropological walk through time. Nice to know the non - USA views locally.
I only wish there was more English language explanation of displays.
Good exhibits.
Seems uninteresting at some stages.
Can take photos and videos, without flashes.
Written 11 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

D1_M1_G1
10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
We joined an English tour of the exhibit that provided both a history of the canal, but also of the politics of the country that shaped its construction and operation.
Written 27 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

diinslc
North Salt Lake, UT646 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
If you like museums and have an interest in the building of the Panama Canal, this is a must-see. Conveniently located in the old town, with a reasonable entrance fee (senior discount!), the museum is a wealth of information about the history of the isthmus from pre-Spanish influence through early this century. Most of the exhibits have short English paragraphs to supplement the Panamanian (Spanish?) text and even still, we were over two hours exploring and learning. It's always so instructive to view history from the "other side" and to learn more about history we lived through and didn't understand. It was definitely our highlight in Panama.
Written 6 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MUSEO DEL CANAL INTEROCEÁNICO DE PANAMÁ: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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