From Museum to Museum

The center of Ensenada is home to compelling collections in historical buildings. One of which is the Museo Histórico Regional de Ensenada (Regional Historical Museum), assumed to be the city’s oldest public building. The construction began its story when it was built in 1886, consecutively as a military barracks, jail, school and hospital. For over the last two decades, it has served as a museum, hosting a diverse selection of artefacts that showcase the civilizations of the region’s indigenous ethnic groups: stone pipes, chisel carvings in the bones of marine mammals, transparent quartz projectile points, clay and vegetable fiber containers, and photographs. Some objects date back eight or nine thousand years. Artefacts and images also narrate the founding of Ensenada, and others date from the period during which the building functioned as a prison and barracks. 

Nearby is the Centro Social, Cívico y Cultural Riviera de Ensenada (Social, Civic and Cultural Center); its typically Californian style building still captivates just as it did in the 1930s when it was the Playa Ensenada hotel, and its casino and ballroom were frequented by Mexican and international celebrities. Today, the center attracts tourists from far and wide, with congress and culinary events taking place in the gardens and events rooms. There is even an open-air theater. This is also home to the Museo de Historia de Ensenada (History Museum). As you stroll through the rooms, you can travel millennia in just minutes: from the ancient cave paintings of prehistoric times, the state’s indigenous communities, the colonial era, and Ensenada’s founding as mining was established in Real del Castillo. 

Opposite, the Museo Caracol is a museum sure to fascinate your family’s little ones with science, nature and the environment; as you pass through, you will enjoy biology, ecology, mathematics and astronomy activities. Excursions, ecotourism programs, reforestation campaigns, workshops, talks, and audiovisuals complete the museum’s offering.  

The artistic and cultural community can be found in the Centro Estatal de las Artes de Ensenada (CEARTE) the state’s art center and a forum where exhibitions, concerts, conferences and book presentations are held.