Museo de la Ciudad (Museum of the City), Quito

Museo de la Ciudad (Museum of the City), Quito

The Museum of the City (Museo de la Ciudad) is the first museum that illustrates everyday life in Quito through the centuries. The museum is housed in the former Old Saint John´s Hospital, a stunning sixteenth-century building, and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In 1998, the building was transformed into a museum, which opened to the public in April 2010. The museum has an impressive collection and a variety of exhibitions, providing details on traditions, legends, cuisine, dress, activities, events, daily objects, and much more.

Besides pre-Columbian art, there is a section dedicated to the colonial regime. These are 1500-1700 rooms, and they depict the colonization by the Spanish. Catholicism and how it shaped Ecuador is shown in great detail as well.

Finally, there is a section dedicated to the history of the Old Saint John´s Hospital and how the hospital treated diseases and provided health care to the city's inhabitants.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Quito. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Museo de la Ciudad (Museum of the City) on Map

Sight Name: Museo de la Ciudad (Museum of the City)
Sight Location: Quito, Ecuador (See walking tours in Quito)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Quito, Ecuador

Create Your Own Walk in Quito

Create Your Own Walk in Quito

Creating your own self-guided walk in Quito is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Historical Religious Buildings Tour

Historical Religious Buildings Tour

As a former Spanish colony, Ecuador and its capital city Quito are home to literally dozens of Catholic churches. The Spaniards brought their faith into the new country and built many great temples here, some of which even pre-date the city of Quito itself.

Among the key local landmarks of ecclesiastical architecture is the Santo Domingo Church, dating back to the 16th century and showcasing a...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Quito Introduction Walking Tour

Quito Introduction Walking Tour

Nestled high in the Andean foothills, at an altitude of 2,850m, Ecuador's capital Quito is deservedly nicknamed "The City in the Clouds". Its full formal title, however, is much longer: "The Very Noble and Loyal City of San Francisco of Quito". The name Quito is derived from the Quitu tribe that originally inhabited the area, and is a combination of two words: quitso...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles