Museo Casa Blanca, Colonial mansion museum in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Museo Casa Blanca is a white stone mansion in Old San Juan arranged around a central courtyard with multiple rooms on each side. The building connects to gardens that extend toward the northern fortification walls of the city.
The mansion was built in 1521 as a residence for Juan Ponce de León and remained the governor's home until the mid-18th century. This long tenure reflects the importance of the building during Spain's early colonial period in Puerto Rico.
The museum displays furniture, weapons, and everyday objects from the Spanish colonial era. These collections show visitors how people actually lived and furnished their homes during that period in Puerto Rico.
The museum is located on Calle San Sebastián in the old city center and opens Wednesday through Sunday. Wear comfortable shoes, as the cobblestone streets and stone steps around the area require steady footing.
The gardens were maintained by General Brooks, the first American Military governor, who managed the property in the early 1900s. His choices in planting have shaped some of the vegetation that still grows there today.
Location: San Juan
Accessibility: Wheelchair limited access
Address: 1 C. de San Sebastián, San Juan, 00901, Puerto Rico
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 8:00-16:00
Phone: +17877251454
Website: https://discoverpuertorico.com/profile/museo-casa-blanca/8488
GPS coordinates: 18.46620,-66.11995
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:49
Puerto Rico offers more than the beaches and colonial fortresses of San Juan. The island contains dozens of natural swimming pools, remote coastal sections and protected forest reserves. The northern coast holds limestone caves with pre-Columbian petroglyphs, while the southwest region includes bioluminescent bays and extensive salt flats. The interior features waterfalls cascading over volcanic rock and hiking trails through mountain canyons with native vegetation. Historic sites include 19th-century lighthouses on rocky promontories, Spanish fortifications guarding harbor entrances and archaeological sites like the indigenous ceremonial center of Tibes near Ponce. Coastal areas offer natural swimming holes separated from the sea at low tide, including Las Paylas in Luquillo and Pozo de Jacinto in Isabela. The dry coastal forests of Guánica and the wet rainforest of El Yunque show the range of the island's ecosystems. Visitors reach these locations via local roads that are often unpaved and poorly marked. Many natural pools and waterfalls require short hikes over uneven terrain. The best conditions occur during the dry season from December through April, when river flows run lower. Some locations like Reserva Natural Las Cabezas de San Juan require advance booking for guided tours, while others remain freely accessible year-round.
La Fortaleza
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Cathedral of San Juan Bautista
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San José Church
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San Juan National Historic Site
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Casa Blanca
22 m
Paseo del Morro
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Plaza del Quinto Centenario
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La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site
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Paseo de la Princesa
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Ballajá Barracks
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El Morro or Port San Juan Light
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San Juan City Hall
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Statue of Juan Ponce de León
219 m
Church of St. Anne
522 m
Museo de las Américas
175 m
Museo de San Juan
313 m
La Rogativa
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Polvorín de Santa Elena (San Juan)
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Román Baldorioty de Castro Graded and Technical School (San Juan)
632 m
La Casa del Libro
331 m
Banco Popular Building (Old San Juan)
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Plaza de Ballajá
216 m
City walls of Old San Juan
401 m
Palace of Royal Administration (San Juan)
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"El Mundo" building
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Bastion de las Palmas
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Raíces Fountain
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Monument to Abraham Lincoln (San Juan)
656 mReviews
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