Museo Casa Blanca, Colonial mansion museum in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Description
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.
History
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.
Culture
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.
Practical
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.
Did you know?
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.
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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...
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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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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
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Church of St. Anne
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Museo de las Américas
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Museo de San Juan
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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)
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La Casa del Libro
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Banco Popular Building (Old San Juan)
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Plaza de Ballajá
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City walls of Old San Juan
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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)
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