The Costa Rica National Museum takes you through the history of transportation in Costa Rica.

Photos, historical objects and a 100 year old carriage that belonged to former President Tomás Guardia (1870-1882) offer us an idea of what life was like in this country back in the XIX century.

From mules, carts and carriages, to the streetcar, cars and the construction of the train to the Atlantic and the Pacific, the evolution of transportation from colonial times to the modern age.

The impressive carriage is the centerpiece and focus of the exhibition, it was imported from France to be used as the official means of transportation of the President Tomas Guardia, although it is possible other political figures of those years also used it. It is 6 meters in length and 2 meters high, luxury details and the impression of the country’s coat of arms in several spaces.

The historic carriage was donated to the National Museum in 1950 where it was in exhibition for several years and then it was given as a loan to the Parque de Diversiones, (national amusement park), in 2002 it was returned to the National Museum and it had been in storage since. Finally in 2016 it was restored in a process that took over 8 months.

Visit the National Museum and enjoy this temporary exhibit along with their permanent exhibits, currently they have a 3 x 1 pass, pay for one and visit three different museums, the National Museum, the Jade Museum and the Central Bank Museums.