Photo: Mx._Granger, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
No doubt, the tour through the National Museum of Art is a ride through the history of Bolivian art, its paintings, sculptures, photos and other artistic expressions; a singular experience for national and foreign visitors.
The National Museum of Art, Palacio Diez de Medina is a museum in the city of La Paz, Bolivia. It has an important permanent collection of colonial paintings, including canvases by Melchor Pérez de Holguín and Gregorio Gamarra.
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Contains government buildings and the city cathedral, Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace (Catedral Basilica Menor de Nuestra Senora de la Paz). The center of the square has a monument dedicated to Murillo.
Museo Nacional de Etnografía y Folklore
MUSEF shows Bolivian cultures in their historic dimension and their current situation. These cultures are alive in the cities and the countryside, in markets, schools and churches, in streets, the jungle or a minibus. Not a single corner of Bolivia escapes its diversity. And to understand this complexity better, the MUSEF offers an incomparable tour.
San Francisco Museum
This restored religious complex has housed some of Bolivia's most important historical moments, including the birth of the Independence Revolution of 1809. Also, you can climb the church tower to get a panoramic view of the indigenous and Mestiza quarters. Displays are in Spanish and English along with personal guides.
Museo de Instrumentos Musicales de Bolivia
Displays a huge collection of sound-producing devices from Bolivia and beyond, some of which you can play yourself. The museum was founded by charango master and inventor Ernesto Cavour, and some of his creations on display (such as multi-bodied guitars) are downright bizarre.
A favorite of foreign tourists, this small museum details the history and significance of the coca plant, including the effect of the U.S. War on Drugs. The displays are in Spanish, but booklets of complete translations in other languages are provided. According to the museum, crack cocaine is the greatest epidemic since the Plague in the Middle-Ages. And yes, there are free samples of coca leaf for visitors.
Museo de Metales Preciosos Precolombinos
Pre-Columbian treasures in silver and gold.