Museo Nacional de Historia Natural

The Museo Nacional de Historia Natural is a natural history museum in Plaza de la Cultura in Santo Domingo with collections spanning fossils, amber, insects, sharks, and native reptiles of the Caribbean. The displays are organized across seven thematic halls covering the zoological diversity of the region.

The museum was constructed in the 1970s and opened to the public in 1982. Over the following decades it assembled more than 160,000 specimens from different zoological groups native to Hispaniola.

The museum demonstrates the importance of Caribbean nature to science and contributes to documenting regional biodiversity through research publications. The collections help visitors understand the diversity of animal life specific to this island region.

The location in Plaza de la Cultura makes it easily accessible in central Santo Domingo. The building includes an observation area with telescopes and a planetarium section, allowing you to plan your visit around these features.

A striking feature at the entrance is an enormous sperm whale jawbone that greets visitors arriving at the museum. The observatory also hosts monthly telescope viewing sessions where guests can explore the night sky firsthand.

Location: Santo Domingo

Official opening: 1982

Accessibility: Wheelchair inaccessible

Website: https://mnhn.gov.do

GPS coordinates: 18.47068,-69.90871

Latest update: December 12, 2025 09:02