La Casa Museo or the House Museum in English, is a magnificent museum owned by the Banco Nacional de Panamá to promote the research of Panama’s banking history and the history of the nation in general. Special attention is given to the study and analysis of Panamanian coins, stamps and financial documents.
This venue was inaugurated on October 12, 1983 as part of a program to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of Banco Nacional de Panamá. The original idea was to preserve and exhibit exceptional Panamanian numismatic collections, as well as to display important historical aspects of banking in Panama, starting from the nineteenth century to this day.
La Casa Museo is located in the neighborhood of La Exposición, between Avenida Cuba and Calle 34. It was built in 1925 as the private residence of Dr. Juan Jose Diaz Boyd.
The structure consists of two stories and a gorgeous tower mixing different architectural styles. It was purchased by the Banco Nacional de Panamá in 1978 and currently houses a museum whose core mission is to preserve the country’s history as well as the history of the first bank in the isthmus.
The museum has the following rooms:
- The Lobby and Reception Room located on the main floor.
- The Bank’s Board Room, which exhibits a gallery of the bank´s managers since its founding. You can also enjoy the original furniture belonging to the First Board of Directors.
- The Stamps Room, which displays a wide variety of local and foreign stamps. In additions, there is a comprehensive history of the Post Office in Panama and abroad, and a rare collection of stamps from the former Panama Canal Zone.
- The José Agustín Arango Library is a specialized consulting center covering subjects such as economics, finance, statistics, banking legislation, and numismatics. It contains over 3,000 volumes and serves thousands of high school and university students.
- The Numismatics Hall shows a historic collection of rare gold, nickel, and silver coins of different denominations. It also includes a comprehensive collection of bonds, shares and other financial documents of Panama and other countries.
- Photograph Library—an ample collection of old photographs which documents social and political events related to the history of Panama since 1903.
All administrations of Banco Nacional de Panamá have given the museum an important role as a true custodian of the history and culture of this great country bathed by two of the largest oceans of the globe.
Below you will find several photographs of this historic venue. Here we go.
Photograph of the House Museum of Banco Nacional de Panamá located in Panama City, Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Take notice of the unique architectural style found in this structure. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
The glow of the early morning light gave the building a special coloration. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photograph of the exquisite House Museum softly nesting on lush tropical vegetation. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
This is another must see tourist spot if you really want to know the country inside out. Good Day.
