Costa Rica invests ₡700 million in future Agua Caliente Site Museum

The Ministry of Culture and Youth, through the National Museum of Costa Rica and in collaboration with the Municipality of Cartago, has inaugurated the temporary exhibition ‘Ancestors of El Guarco’. Held at the Cartago Municipal Museum, the display spans five rooms and features over 300 archaeological artifacts, including ceramics, stone, sculptures, and goldwork. The collection includes items from the Troyo Collection, assembled in the late 19th century, and materials from significant sites such as Agua Caliente and Guayabo.

The exhibition aims to illustrate the agricultural practices, customs, and beliefs of the populations that inhabited the El Guarco Valley over the last 10,000 years.

This initiative serves as a precursor to the development of the Agua Caliente Site Museum (or Interpretation Center). To support this long-term project, the State has transferred ₡700 million to the Municipality of Cartago for infrastructure construction. The local government is also investing approximately ₡50 million into the necessary studies and analyses for the project, which will be designed to protect and research the region's archaeological heritage.