Costa Rica's National Museum

The National Museum of Costa Rica is in an old military fort, symbolizing Costa Rica's peaceful tradition. The museum, in the capital city of San Jose, features pre-Columbian art with displays of gold, jade, stone and pottery. There are other pre-Columbian artifacts from indigenous cultures dating back more than 12,000 years.

Among the most interesting artifacts we saw were mysterious intricate carvings thought to have been made by peoples who occupied this part of Central America before the Mayans.The museum encloses an open courtyard from which there are beautiful views overlooking downtown San Jose and the mountains beyond.