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An extremely original project in the north part of the Mariscal District, this museum provides an 'ethno-historical' view of Ecuador's amazingly rich cultural diversity. You can find out about the country's different peoples, from the coast to the Andes to the Amazon, and their crafts in a specially-built and designed structure. The museum has a large fair-trade shop that sells handicrafts and natural products.
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Jardin Botanico
It's a wonderful escape from the city, with all of Ecuador's ecosystems represented with a wide variety of flora. You can take a guided tour or just wander. The highlight for many people are the two glassed-in orchidariums.
Perhaps Ecuador's most renowned museum with different rooms, devoted to pre-Columbian, Colonial and gold works of art, among other topics. Some of the famous pieces include whistle bottles shaped like animals, elaborate gold headdresses and re-created miniature scenes of life along the Amazon. The museum is well-organized, and it takes about 3–4 hours to see everything. Entrance $2. Guides who speak several different languages including English, French and Spanish are available for a small fee. Do not confuse this museum with the Banco Central which is a small exhibition downtown, across from La Compañía church. This exhibit usually shows currency or stamps.
Shows a patchwork of local artists.
Guayasamin Museum and Chapel of Man
This museum houses the collection of Ecuador's most renowned contemporary artists, Oswaldo Guayasamin. It has a fine collection of pre-Columbian, colonial and independence art, and houses many of the artist's works. The adjoining Chapel of Man was built posthumously to house some of Guayasamin's vast canvases on the condition of Latin American Man.