Museo Arqueológico Gregorio Aguilar Barea

Juigalpa’s most interesting attraction is the Museo Arqueológico Gregorio Aguilar Barea, an airplane-hangar-like building housing a collection of more than a hundred examples of pre-Columbian statuary uncovered in the folds of the Amerrisque mountain range. Ranging from one meter to seven meters tall, the pieces are reminiscent of totem poles, elaborately carved in high- and low-relief, with representations of zoomorphic figures and humans (the latter often clutching knives or axes in their hands, or presenting their arms folded across their chests). The statues, thought to be 1,000 years old, were the work of the Chontal people, driven to the east side of Lake Cocibolca by the more powerful Nicaraos some 1,500 years ago.

  In contrast to the indigenous cultures of the Pacific region, relatively little is known about the Chontal culture and its statues, more of which are continually being discovered in the Amerrisque range. The museum was built in 1952 by the well-loved former mayor of Juigalpa, Gregorio Aguilar Barea. It also exhibits Nicaraguan coins from across two centuries, gold figurines, original paintings by the museum’s namesake, and several historical paintings and photographs. Although supposedly open 9 a.m.–noon and 2–5 p.m. Monday–Friday, the museum’s hours more frequently follow the whims of the caretaker. The building has an open front, so even if the gate to the museum is locked, all the statues can be seen from the street.