A Historical Jewel: San José's National Theater

[Danny Solano Alvarez]

San Jose downtown is a city full of contrasts, with the regular hustle of a capital city, it stills keeping a unique essence on its surroundings. The top attractions within the area are mainly based in cultural activities, like museums, theatres and historical architecture. And is actually the historical and cultural richness what brings visitors to the must see in San Jose: ¨The National Theatre¨.

This historical jewel was inaugurated in October of 1897, after seven years of construction, it started as a necessity of a theatre for private performances, but then, José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledon, the president at the time, wanted to build a place that can meet expectations of a national theatre and decided to collect a tax on coffee exportations in order to afford the construction.

The National Theatre is considered a major historical building in downtown giving to its visitors a splendor of exquisiteness with its renaissance design and lavish furniture. This building has housed high quality performances including national and foreign artists, and stills does in the present, every month a number of activities are programmed for the delight of its spectators as well as tours thru the theatre during the day for tourists. However, the use of the theatre is very limited to only high standard presentations, putting thru a very selective process the admission for performing.

During more than one century the national theatre has been the finest scenario for history, memories, first class events and legends that had been mixed over and over again after the first visitors crowded the main hall.


Next time you visit Costa Rica and have the chance to pass by San Jose take a couple hours to visit and enjoy the majesty of the grand ¨National Theatre¨, and if you need a place to stay, Ritzli can perfectly work for you, centrally located a few blocks from this attraction and the main services in the area. An affordable, clean and comfortable stay while you enjoy San Jose downtown.


By Maricel/Ritzli