national archaeological museum aruba

Provides nice background to the culture of the island. Admission is free and they don't even ask for a donation so it is definitely great value.

The building is modern, as are the displays. They are very complete and included information about pre-ceramic residents that we found nowhere else. And free besides! Amazing!

The building was renovated to preserve the original exterior architecture while creating a great facility to house the museum. We learned a lot more about the history of Aruba during our visit. Admission is free.

Very historical building downtown.Has a guide to explain things to you.Very informative an educational.

Pleasant afternoon excursion to the National Archaeological Museum. It is located in a historic building, in the downtown area, a couple of blocks off the main street. Lots of information was contained in this little gem, a worthwhile excursion!

We had a hard time finding it, but spent a pleasant hour browsing the exhibits. The integration of the modern building into the historic site was well done.

This museum is newly relocated. It is downtown just 2 blocks behind the Renaissance and on the new trolley line. It is air-conditioned, modern in design, has hands-on exhibits appropriate for adults and children and in a restored former residence. Very well done with lots of information on the history of this island. An hour work spending. There is no admission charge.

My husband and I love exploring museums when we travel, including cruising. One cruise stop was in Oranjestad Aruba. A quick ask about local museums brought us to the National Archaeological Museum. This is a priceless little museum a quick walk from the cruise ship docks or you can take the tram. Probably no more than a half mile walk. BE AWARE--it is not on a main street so it can be tricky to find it especially if you rely on those notoriously inaccurate Tourist Info maps! But once you find it, it is SOOO worth it! We are talking real archeology here. The cost to enter the museum is free. The exhibits are beautifully presented. The information geared for serious history buffs like ourselves, the causal museum visitor as well as children as there are special interactive exhibits. Expect to spend a minimum of 30 min (fast walk through tour) to an hour and a half (reading each exhibit). It is not a large museum but the artifacts and information presented is wonderful! We really learned a lot so for us it was priceless to learn about this Caribbean Island's history before Columbus.

This is a very small museum, worth your time, but don't plan to spend the afternoon. There are some picnic tables and there is a public restroom. A really nice feature is a fountain to get cold water for filling your own bottles.

Wonderful new museum building and entry is free! Learn about the history and people of Aruba - it enriches every other experience on the island. Four stars only because the second floor was 90 degrees and we couldn't stay up there long enough to view everything. We'll return next time!

The only thing I didn’t like about the National Archaeological Museum Aruba was the difficulty in finding it. Located on the edge of a plaza tucked behind the main tourist drag, it was probably the mid-afternoon sun that caused me to miss the large concrete marker announcing the location. Newly located in a cluster of colonial single and two-story buildings from the late 19th and 20th centuries, entry is free and a welcome respite from the heat as the complex is (usually) air conditioned. Downtown Oranjestad is small enough that you’ll find it eventually, just be sure and check a map before you embark on the journey.The destination is worthy. The museum proper is moderately sized, consisting of about a half dozen rooms on two floors. There are four major sections. “Past in the Present” provides roughly the equivalent of the museum’s foundation, describing its beginning and the main historical epochs (pre-ceramic, ceramic, and Amerindian) covered. This is followed by “Home Life” and “Artistic and Sacred Expression” which focus on the daily lives of the pre-colonial inhabitants of the island and complement each other nicely. “Origins and Exchanges” finishes the experience somewhat logically, focusing on colonial interactions. While emphasis is weighted towards archeological finds (go figure), the museum uses a number of other methods to teach and describe their objectives. Motion-triggered movies, dioramas, interactive storyboards, a cave with projection art, and even a life-sized native house are sprinkled among the four sections. As a bonus, a large water cistern was discovered during the museum’s founding and its story is integrated into the surroundings. I spent a total of two hours here, being able to read all of the information and leaving with a much more detailed understanding of the island’s past than I gleaned from any text.In summary, this is an excellent attraction and shouldn’t be missed by anyone academically inclined or, to be honest, by anyone just visiting the island. The museum uses an array of methods to teach a logical story that is fairly even-handed in presentation. A visit here followed by one to the museum in Fort Zouman (see separate review) will provide the best overview of island history that you can find, bar none. I would highly recommend carving a couple hours out of your vacation to pay a visit.

The National Archeological Museum, which is situated behind the main street of Aruba is a small, interesting and well preserved attraction. The building itself is quite colorful and reflects the colors of this "Happy Island". The Museum entry is free and we were met by a most cordial gentleman at the reception. This Museum houses archeological finds, way of life of the ancient tribes and a number of relics. The Museum is spread over two levels and has been designed keeping a well paced exhibition in mind. At no time do you feel rushed with too much of information. I learnt a great deal about the native Arubian life, culture, customs and traditions. Very happy with the visit.

Very good place to cool off and get a history lesson. I think this one was free, if not, it was only $5.00 U.S.

This museum is unfortunately rather pale if you first toured the Museum Kura Hulanda in Curacao; but we have to accept what is given. The Aruba Museum is dedicated to the native tribes (Arawak people in particular) of the region. It has a fairly impressive collection of implements dating back some centuries (over a thousand years) and a pretty nice description to go with them. The building is nicely laid out and is perhaps just a 5 minute walk from the cruise ships. Plus, there is no admission charge.

I was pleasantly surprised of the beauty, and vast amount of information provided by this small yet rich museum. I highly recommend a visit to everyone (locals & island visitors). Located in a nicely renovated historical building, the national Archeological Museum would be an import stop in anyone's quest to discover Aruba!!!