Panama Canal Museum, Maritime history museum in San Felipe, Panama.
The Panama Canal Museum occupies a four-story building with French Renaissance architecture and displays exhibits about the canal's construction and maritime technologies. The displays include lock system models, historical photographs, and objects that illustrate the technical development of this important waterway.
The building was constructed in 1874 by George Loew and first served as headquarters for the French Canal Company. It was later taken over by the American Canal Commission and converted into a museum.
The museum shows how the canal connected Panama with the world and what role it played in global trade. Visitors see old photographs and objects that bring this history to life.
The museum is located at Plaza de la Independencia in central San Felipe and is easily accessible on foot. Plan to spend several hours exploring the different exhibition levels.
The museum features an operational scale model of the lock system that shows exactly how the actual canal works. This interactive model allows visitors to understand the complex mechanics of vessels passing through daily.
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