During this second semester of 2025, the Juan Santamaría Historical and Cultural Museum (MHCJS), an institution of the Ministry of Culture and Youth, is offering its free educational guided tour service to the national educational community.

This program is aimed at students of all levels and organized groups with educational or cultural interests and is offered year-round.

Tours are conducted by the Education and History staff of the MHCJS, with support from trained volunteers. The educational proposal covers exhibits related to the 1856–1857 National Campaign, its impact on the construction of Costa Rican identities, and the local history of Alajuela. In addition, visitors have the opportunity to access the rooftop of the former barracks—now the MHCJS headquarters—where elements of the city’s architectural and urban heritage can be appreciated.

Tours are available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, at the following times:

• 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

To coordinate a visit, a prior request must be sent to the email address cultura@mhcjs.go.cr or by calling 2441-4775, ext. 101.

The service is intended for student groups from preschool through primary, secondary, and university levels, with a maximum of 50 people per group, as well as smaller collectives with specific interests in subjects such as history, art, architecture, tourism, and others.

Content Adapted by Educational Level The guided-tour program is tailored to the particularities of each level, as detailed below:

• In preschool and the first cycle, emphasis is placed on the civic value of national heroes and heroines. • In the second cycle, the chronologies, battles, and protagonists of the first and second stages of the 1856–1857 National Campaign are explored. • In the third cycle, there is an in-depth look at the historical, social, and political contexts of the conflict—national, regional, and global. • At the diversified and university levels, more complex themes are developed based on the group’s interests, such as social memories of the war, its meanings for Costa Rican identity, art, architecture, and other interdisciplinary lines of analysis.

Juan Santamaría Museum invites students to discover history with its educational guided tours in the second semester of 2025.

María Otárola Luna, director of the MHCJS, highlighted that these educational visits are “an opportunity for people to get closer to history and get to know the museum, a safe and pleasant space that will allow them to have an unforgettable experience, which will support their learning about the 1856–1857 National Campaign.”

The Juan Santamaría Historical and Cultural Museum invites teachers, students, and the general public to take advantage of this free learning and cultural opportunity. To stay up to date with the MHCJS’s cultural calendar, the institution also invites you to follow its social media and other official channels.

The MHCJS is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with free admission. Visitors can also use the Luis Ferrero Acosta Bookstore, which offers editorial materials at accessible prices for all audiences, including comics, coloring books, and specialized publications on national history.