Sight guide · Oaxaca · Mexico
Visiting Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
The former Dominican convent beside Santo Domingo now houses the state's main history museum, spread over cloisters and vaulted halls.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. João Sousa assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca is a museum in Santo Domingo and the Andador, Oaxaca. Allow 2 hours; it is low cost. Booking ahead is not usually needed.
Key facts
- Type
- Museum
- Area
- Santo Domingo and the Andador
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Not usually needed
- Good for
- history, rainy day and architecture
- Best months
- June and August–September
About Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
The former Dominican convent beside Santo Domingo now houses the state's main history museum, spread over cloisters and vaulted halls. Its star exhibit is the treasure of Tomb 7 at Monte Albán: Mixtec gold, jade, turquoise and carved bone found in 1932. Upper-floor windows look down over the Ethnobotanical Garden.
Tip: Go before visiting Monte Albán to understand the site, and leave time for the window views of the garden and the church dome.
Plan your visit
- Time needed: 2 hours.
- Cost: Low cost.
- Book ahead: not usually needed; buy on arrival.
- Where: Santo Domingo and the Andador, the pedestrian street, galleries and the gilded church.
Best time to visit Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca is indoors, which makes it a good plan for the wettest months:
- June: 29°C (84°F) highs, about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds.
- August: 28°C (82°F) highs, about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds.
- September: 27°C (81°F) highs, about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds.
When to visit Oaxaca has the full month-by-month picture.
Fit it into your trip
Our 3-day Oaxaca itinerary visits Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca on day 1, together with Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca and Zócalo and Cathedral.
- No. 2 of the 17 sights in our Oaxaca things-to-do list.
- Day 1 of the 1-day plan.
- Day 1 of the 2-day plan.
- Day 1 of the 5-day plan.
- One of the picks in museums in Oaxaca.
- One of the picks in oaxaca on a rainy day.
- One of the picks in historic sites in Oaxaca.
Near Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
Also in Santo Domingo and the Andador, so you can walk between them:
- Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán — 30–45 minutes, free
- Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca — 1–2 hours, low cost
- Andador Macedonio Alcalá — 1 hour, free
If you like Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
- Museo Textil de Oaxaca — Centro Histórico, 1 hour
- Museo de Arte Prehispánico Rufino Tamayo — Centro Histórico, 1 hour
- Basílica de la Soledad — Barrio de la Soledad, 45 minutes
Staying near Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
Stay in Santo Domingo and the Andador ($$$) to walk here: the pedestrian street, galleries and the gilded church. All areas to stay in Oaxaca.
Questions travellers ask
+How long do you need at Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca?
Plan 2 hours. With Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán nearby, it fits a half-day in Santo Domingo and the Andador.
+Is Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca free?
No, it is low cost. Tickets are usually available on the day.
+When is the best time to visit Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca?
June and August–September, the wettest months, when an indoor sight is most welcome. Go before visiting Monte Albán to understand the site, and leave time for the window views of the garden and the church dome.
+Do I need to book Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca in advance?
Usually not: you can decide on the day.