Overview:

The Museo del Ámbar, Santo Domingo, is a public museum located in the capital city of the Dominican Republic. The museum is dedicated to the study of the Dominican Republic's native amber, and to the history of the Caribbean island nation, both pre- and post-Columbian. The museum features a collection of more than 2,000 pieces of amber, as well as a variety of historical artifacts, documents, photographs, and artworks. It also houses paleontological and archaeological pieces from a number of sites around the country. The museum provides educational opportunities and activities for the promotion of the Dominican Republic’s Cultural Heritage Center and its amber-related research. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Dominican-Republic
Prominent Features:

, on the south side of the Alcázar de Colón, in the old city of Santo Domingo, lies the Museo del Ámbar. The Museum of Amber is one of the most remarkable places to visit for its colorful collection of amber, illustrating the diversity of Dominican nature and the development of Dominican culture. The Museum of Amber is dedicated to the study of Dominican amber and exploration of the country's native species. The museum's three galleries include the Dominican Amber Gallery, an exhibition of Dominican Birds, and an exhibition of Dominican Plants. The museum also features a lab that contains a stunning amber workshop, a modern environmental education center, and a library. Visitors to the Museum of Amber can explore the history and production of Dominican amber and its use in jewelry and art. Guests can also learn how Dominican amber is uncovered, processed, and used in many different applications. The collection at the Museum ranges from large to small pieces, and is showcased in a variety of themes, such as a pyramid of Mosaic amber of Saint Domingo. The Museum of Amber is the perfect place to visit for an intriguing view into Dominican culture and its natural resources. Aside from its galleries, the Museum also offers guided tours, educational lectures, and workshops. On-site activities include fieldtrips, jewelry-making classes, and even a museum shop. This national monument of Dominican-Republic portrays the history and culture of the country.

History:

Museo del Ámbar (The Amber Museum) is located in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It was founded in 1994 by a Swiss chemical engineer, Professor Alfredo Barceló, and offers visitors a complete educative experience in the amber universe. Exhibitions include thousands of specimens with fossils from the Dominican Republic and many other countries. The specific origin of amber is unknown, however, it is generally accepted that the material is a fossilized resin from the exudates of the extinct Agathis trees. The Dominican amber is estimated to be around 25 million years old. This material is confined to the Northern region of the island, particularly La Cordillera Septentrional, near Santiago de los Caballeros. The amber is not only studied and appreciated as a valuable mineral, but also as a source of remarkable inclusions, such as prehistoric insects, fungi and plants that were trapped in it when it was still a resin. For this reason, amber is a source of information about continuing evolution and the environment. At the Museo del Ámbar, visitors can learn about the production of amber and the surroundings of La Cordillera Septentrional, as well as the processes in which amber is produced and fashioned, and the study techniques related to the analysis of inclusions found in it. The Museum offers guests of all ages enlightening and entertaining educational programs during their visit. The property houses a souvenir shop with an extensive variety of handmade items made of Dominican amber. In 2010, the Museum was awarded with the certificate of excellence by the tourism website TripAdvisor. You must visit one of these historical places in Dominican-Republic on your Dominican-Republic tour

Interesting facts:

1. The museum has the largest collection of amber in the world, containing more than 10,000 pieces from different parts of the Dominican Republic. 2. It was founded in 1982 by the American geologist George Poinar and its original purpose was to prevent the illegal trade of Dominican Amber. 3. Amber itself is a fossilized resin of exudation of ancient trees, which is said to be as old as 25-30 million years. 4. Some of the pieces found in the museum include extremely rare inclusions, such as a bee encased in a drop of amber, which was found in the Dominican Republic. 5. It's believed that the amber inclusions hold clues to the evolutionary history of the entire New World. 6. In 2000, a whole range of new discoveries in Dominican Amber were made, including proteins, bacteria and plant materials that are believed to be the first examples of these kinds of inclusions in amber. 7. The museum has state-of-the-art lighting and preservation techniques, allowing visitors to observe the vast amber collection without causing any damage. 8. The museum also has an onsite research laboratory used for the study of amber and its associated materials. 9. It is one of the most visited museums in the Dominican Republic, with over 250,000 visitors in 2018. 10. A recent addition to the museum is a 4D virtual reality tour, which aims to show how Dominican Amber derives from an ancient rainforest ecosystem. Visit one of the famous monuments of Dominican-Republic with your friends and family.