Medellin · The Classics

Museo de Antioquia

Botero's fat, joyful figures — and the city's best museum. Two hours, well spent.

Photo · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
⚖
Verdict
Worth it
🕐
Best time
Daytime, weekday
💵
Cost
Small entry
⌛
Time needed
2 hr
🚫
Skip if
After dark on the plaza

The Museo de Antioquia sits on Plaza Botero, Medellin's central square studded with the artist's rotund bronze sculptures. Inside is the country's second-oldest museum and the best collection of Fernando Botero's work anywhere.

The intelwhat we'd tell a friend
ReallyThe real deal
Give it about two hours; Botero's voluptuous, deadpan figures are the draw, and he donated much of the collection to his home city. Combine it with the free open-air sculptures on Plaza Botero right outside, but stay alert: the plaza is lively by day and best avoided after dark.
SafelyThe risk read
The museum is safe; the surrounding downtown is gritty and pickpocket-prone, so go by day, keep your phone away and don't linger on the plaza after dark. Standard Medellin no dar papaya.
DeeplyThe culture
Botero is a source of enormous local pride, and his darker works quietly reckon with Colombia's violent decades, so look past the roundness for that. The museum and plaza are part of downtown's ongoing reclamation, a real Medellin story.
Quick answers
Is Museo de Antioquia worth it?

Yes, the best of Botero and a fine museum; about two hours by day.

Is Museo de Antioquia free? What does it cost?

There's a small entry fee, no need to book far ahead.

What's the best way to visit Museo de Antioquia?

Give it about two hours; Botero's voluptuous, deadpan figures are the draw, and he donated much of the collection to his home city.

One square on the board.
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