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Museum · Parque Lefevre (Panamá Viejo)

Panamá Viejo Archaeological Site and Plaza Mayor Museum

Checked · official siteWe checked the details on the place’s own or an official website.

Ruins of the first Spanish city on the Pacific coast of the Americas, founded in 1519 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors walk among the old cathedral and convents, climb the restored bell tower for a skyline view, and see the Plaza Mayor museum, which Hadassah Magazine says includes an exhibit on crypto-Jews.

The cathedral tower at Panamá ViejoPhoto: Rodolfo Aragundi, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Good to know

Check the Patronato home page before going: it posts monthly holiday closures (Nov 2026 has four closed days). WhatsApp +507 6975-8879; email info@panamaviejo.org. Bring ID to get the right price category. Coordinates are for the Plaza Mayor museum.

Details

Hours
Tuesday-Sunday 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; ticket office closes 4:30 p.m.; closed Mondays. November 2026 holiday notice: closed Nov 3, 5, 10 and 28.
Duration
2-3 hours
Seasonality
Year-round; shade is limited, so go early
Best for ages
All ages (under 6 free on family visits)
Shabbat
Open Saturdays but about 5 km east of Paitilla along a busy road; a car is needed for most families. Closed Mondays.
Booking
No
Kosher food
No kosher food confirmed on site. Kosher restaurants in Panama City are concentrated in Paitilla, Punta Pacífica, Bella Vista, Marbella and Costa del Este; eat there before/after or bring packed food.
Ticket price
Non-resident adult $17.00; non-resident child $5.00; non-resident university student $7.00; nationals/residents adult $11.00, minors 6-17 $2.00. Includes archaeological park, museum, cathedral lookout and internal transport (patronatopanamaviejo.org price sheet dated Oct 2024, seen 2026-11-05)
Distance from Panama City
~5 km straight-line from Punta Paitilla (computed from coordinates; road distance is longer)

Sources

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