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Colombia🇨🇴 | attractionsMuseo Casa de la MemoriaSurvivor testimonies, Medellín conflict memory, free entry | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in Museo Casa de la Memoria
👌 Worth visitingattraction ranked #14
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 19, 2026

Entry to Casa de la Memoria is free, and the museum sits right beside Parque Bicentenario, a short walk from the Metro. It is in Medellín, in Colombia’s Antioquia department, in the Boston district just east of the city center. I walked over from Parque Berrío and got stopped by a vendor outside who simply pointed me toward the door and said, “Vaya, vaya.” Inside, the testimonies of victims of the armed conflict are the point. Skip the gift counter and rush-through visits. Give the testimony rooms real time. It is heavy, honest and unmissable if you want to understand Colombia. Curious, reflective travelers will love it; anyone seeking light sightseeing won’t.

Discover everything you want to know in the 📖 Colombia Travel Guide.


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✨ Why go?
Ranked #14 attraction in ColombiaWhat sets this place apart

Casa de la Memoria is where Medellín stops being a cartoon of cartels and coffee tours and becomes a city of people who lived through it. The museum gathers testimonies, photographs and video from victims of the armed conflict, which gives context to everything you will hear on the street. It also frames the Comuna 13 and Pablo Escobar stories that tour guides tell more simply. Visit before those tours and your questions get sharper. The building is free to enter and takes roughly two hours, so it costs you little. For a first-time visitor to Colombia, this is a milestone stop on the Antioquia route, one that changes how you read the rest of the trip.

💡 HighlightsPlaces and moments you shouldn't skip

  1. Permanent exhibition “Medellín: Memorias de Violencia y Resistencia”: the core of the museum, tracing decades of violence through documents, objects and survivor accounts.
  2. Testimony and video rooms: recorded voices of victims and relatives, direct and often hard to sit through, and the most affecting part.
  3. Tejido de la Memoria: fabric and visual pieces made by communities, showing how people process loss through craft.
  4. Photographic archives: images from neighborhoods and events that put faces and places to the conflict.
  5. Temporary exhibitions: the rotating shows on human rights, peace and art keep repeat visits worthwhile.
  6. Parque Bicentenario outside: a calm green space with shaded benches, good for decompressing after the exhibits.
Pair the permanent exhibition with a walk through Parque Bicentenario … read more 👉
  1. Permanent exhibition “Medellín: Memorias de Violencia y Resistencia”: the core of the museum, tracing decades of violence through documents, objects and survivor accounts.
  2. Testimony and video rooms: recorded voices of victims and relatives, direct and often hard to sit through, and the most affecting part.
  3. Tejido de la Memoria: fabric and visual pieces made by communities, showing how people process loss through craft.
  4. Photographic archives: images from neighborhoods and events that put faces and places to the conflict.
  5. Temporary exhibitions: the rotating shows on human rights, peace and art keep repeat visits worthwhile.
  6. Parque Bicentenario outside: a calm green space with shaded benches, good for decompressing after the exhibits.
Pair the permanent exhibition with a walk through Parque Bicentenario afterward, since the open air helps you absorb what you have just seen.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

Things to do around Museo Casa de la Memoria

Medellin Historic Walking Tour with Expert Guide

Medellin Historic Walking Tour with Expert Guide

5.0(562) 3h
From €15.88
per personViator
Medellin City Private Tour

Medellin City Private Tour

4.8(88)
From €82
per personViator
Medellín Highlights: with local guide and transfers from hotel

Medellín Highlights: with local guide and transfers from hotel

5.0(23) 5h
From €120
per personViator
Private Pablo Escobar, Pueblito Paisa and Medellin City Tour

Private Pablo Escobar, Pueblito Paisa and Medellin City Tour

4.9(18)
From €113
per personViator
Medellin Metro Tour w/transport including Fernando Botero´s Plaza

Medellin Metro Tour w/transport including Fernando Botero´s Plaza

4.9(15) 4h
From €85
per personViator
Private Full Day City Tour of Medellin

Private Full Day City Tour of Medellin

4.9(12) 8h
From €212
per personViator
Medellín Museums Tour with transport: Botero´s Antioquia museum

Medellín Museums Tour with transport: Botero´s Antioquia museum

4.9(10) 4h
From €154
per personViator
Medellin City Tour with Plaza de Botero and Antioquia Museum

Medellin City Tour with Plaza de Botero and Antioquia Museum

4.4(10) 4h
From €137
per personViator
Private tour: Medellin, Pablo Escobar and Food with transport

Private tour: Medellin, Pablo Escobar and Food with transport

5.0(7) 8h
From €211
per personViator
ATV Adventure w/transport Including Medellin City and Food Tour

ATV Adventure w/transport Including Medellin City and Food Tour

5.0(6) 8h
From €211
per personViator

Ratings based on Tripadvisor reviews. When you book through this link, you support our work at no extra cost to you.

🌤️ When to go?Best time to visit Museo Casa de la Memoria

  • Dry Months (December to February, July to August): Medellín’s two drier spells bring mostly sunny mornings, highs of 26 to 28°C (79 to 82°F) and lows near 16°C (61°F). Domestic crowds and hotel prices climb around Christmas and the Feria de las Flores in early August.
  • Rainy Months (April to June, September to November): Afternoon downpours are common, but the museum is indoors, so rain barely matters. Temperatures stay similar, and beds cost less.
  • Daylight: Days run about 12 hours all year, so timing the visit around light is unnecessary.
Go on a weekday morning, since school groups and tours tend to fill the exhibition floors later in the day.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: highly recommended for travelingFEBFebruary: highly recommended for travelingMARMarch: highly recommended for travelingAPRApril: highly recommended for travelingMAYMay: fair for travelingJUNJune: fair for travelingJULJuly: fair for travelingAUGAugust: fair for travelingSEPSeptember: fair for travelingOCTOctober: fair for travelingNOVNovember: highly recommended for travelingDECDecember: excellent for traveling
when-to-go

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🛏️ Where to stay?How to pick the right area

El Poblado is the most popular area for backpackers, with the highest concentration of social hostels, and it sits about 15 to 20 minutes from the museum by Metro and a short walk. Laureles suits travelers wanting a calmer, local feel, with cafés, cheap lunch menus and fewer tourists, reached by a 15 to 25 minute ride. Both are safe in the evenings if you stick to busy streets and use taxi apps after dark. The Centro area is the closest, within walking distance of Parque Bicentenario and the Metro line, and has the cheapest beds. It is lively by day but gets rough after dark, so most solo travelers … read more 👉
El Poblado is the most popular area for backpackers, with the highest concentration of social hostels, and it sits about 15 to 20 minutes from the museum by Metro and a short walk. Laureles suits travelers wanting a calmer, local feel, with cafés, cheap lunch menus and fewer tourists, reached by a 15 to 25 minute ride. Both are safe in the evenings if you stick to busy streets and use taxi apps after dark. The Centro area is the closest, within walking distance of Parque Bicentenario and the Metro line, and has the cheapest beds. It is lively by day but gets rough after dark, so most solo travelers sleep elsewhere and visit the museum by Metro or a short ride.
Best hostels in Colombia


Best quality hotels in Colombia

👛 Costs (as of 19 October 2026)How expensive it really is

A day around Casa de la Memoria costs roughly US$19 to 50 for a backpacker, because entry is free and most spending goes to beds and food.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
EntranceUS$0Free for all visitors, including the permanent exhibition
Guided visit or audioUS$0 to 3Guided tours are usually offered free; a tip is welcome
Accommodation (high season)US$10 to 20Dorm bed in El Poblado or Laureles; cheaper in Centro
FoodUS$6 to 12Set lunch (menú del día) costs US$3 to 5 nearby
Local transportUS$1 to 5A Metro ride costs about US$0.80; rides by taxi app are US$2 to 5
ExtrasUS$2 to 5Coffee, a snack, or a stop at the nearby Parque Bicentenario
Total Daily BudgetUS$19 to 50About US$38 to 55 for comfortable mid-range spending


source: museocasadelamemoria.gov.co
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

FAQCommon questions from travelers

Plan about 1.5 to 2 hours at Casa de la Memoria. The permanent exhibition on Colombia’s armed conflict is dense with testimony and video, and a guided tour adds around 45 minutes. Add another hour if you want to walk through the adjacent Parque Bicentenario.
Yes, and it costs nothing because Casa de la Memoria offers free entry. The permanent exhibition is the clearest introduction in Medellín to the country’s armed conflict and its victims, and temporary shows change often. Guided visits are free too, though a tip of US$1 to 3 is appreciated.
Take the Metro to Parque Berrío or Prado, then walk 10 to 15 minutes to Casa de la Memoria, which faces Parque Bicentenario in the center. From El Poblado, expect 20 to 30 minutes in total, with a Metro fare near US$0.80. A taxi-app ride from El Poblado costs roughly US$2 to 4.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other Colombian attractions near Museo Casa de la Memoria

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We 💚 feedbackFinal thoughts on visiting Museo Casa de la Memoria

Many travelers treat Casa de la Memoria as a quick tick before lunch and leave after twenty minutes. Give it two unhurried hours instead, and go before a Comuna 13 or Escobar tour so the context lands properly. I would bring a clear head and skip the afternoon heat for a calm morning visit.

✈️ When did I visit Colombia?
Did a good 3-week trip around Colombia in August 2014.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Colombia, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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