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The El Castillo Museum (Museo El Castillo) is a mansion in Medellín’s El Poblado district. It’s now a museum.
History of El Castillo
El Castillo was built in the 1930s by a rich Colombian doctor who was trained in France and fell in love with the castles of the country. Unfortunately, the owner died less than a year into construction. His widow finished the building in his honor, which took 11 years to complete. It was then sold in 1943 to Colombian businessman Diego Echevarría and his German wife, Benedikta Zur Nieden, who lived there until 1971.
Visiting the El Castillo Museum
El Castillo was converted into a private museum in 1972. It contains the original furnishings and art collected by the family that lived there. Tours of the mansion cost COP$24,000 for adults and COP$18,000 for children, while adult admission to the gardens only is COP$20,000 for adults and COP$15,000 for children (as of October 2024). Tours are available daily except Tuesdays, while the garden is open daily.
A guided tour of the house is required and no photos are allowed inside, but you can take them from the terraces. The tour takes about an hour to complete, and the guide does a fantastic job of explaining just about every piece of art and about the lives of the people who lived in the mansion. It’s full of priceless artwork and porcelain statues as well as books and rare furniture.
The Grounds
Stepping onto the grounds of the mansion, you immediately feel as if you’ve been transported to Europe. The perfectly manicured gardens and fountains make for a perfect getaway from the bustling city outside.
A few people brought their own picnic baskets and were passing the time away on the grass for a romantic afternoon. Preparations for a wedding were also underway, as the mansion is also an important venue for special events.
Transportation Museum
A sign leads you to a small building on the grounds that calls itself a transportation museum. There’s not much in there except for some offices and several license plates from around Colombia and the USA.
Getting There
The museum is located uphill from the Santa María de los Ángeles neighborhood. You can take a taxi from El Poblado. If you’re driving, parking costs extra.
