Plaza Botero: 23 Sculptures & What to See

Plaza Botero is Medellín's museum without doors: twenty-three monumental bronze sculptures donated by Fernando Botero to his home city, spread across an open square that never closes and where there are no glass cases or rope barriers. The Museo de Antioquia and the Palacio de la Cultura stand beside it, and El Hueco begins two blocks away. It is the point where art and the real city touch without a filter.

What to see & do

1. The 23 Botero sculptures
Fernando Botero, born in Medellín in 1932, donated these twenty-three bronze pieces to his home city. They are voluminous, gleaming and you can touch them — some parts are polished smooth by millions of hands. No cases, no opening hours: an open-air museum in the middle of downtown bustle.
2. Museo de Antioquia
Right beside the square. It holds the largest collection of Botero's work in the country, along with pre-Columbian, colonial and contemporary Antioquian art. Check current opening hours and ticket prices before you go, as they change with the season.
3. Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe
The black-and-white striped building presiding over the square, Flemish Gothic in style, begun in 1925 and finished decades later. Entry is free. Go up to the top floors: the inner courtyard with its spiral staircase is the best part of the building and most visitors never see it.
4. The downtown atmosphere
The square is the living heart of the city centre: street vendors, buskers, people playing chess, office workers hurrying past. It is not a tourist stage set, it is the city at work. It is worth sitting for fifteen minutes just to watch.
5. El Hueco, two blocks away
The densest commercial district in Medellín, where locals actually shop. If popular commerce interests you, it is a world of its own and it is right there.

Our tours to this place

Plaza Botero is a star stop on our Urban, Panoramic and Full tours: you arrive riding through downtown, with your guide leading the way, and get time for photos and stories. Pick yours:

Related tours

Urban Tour

3–3.5h · $59 USD ($189.000 COP)

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Panoramic Tour

5h · $77 USD ($249.000 COP)

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Full Tour

7h · $102 USD ($329.000 COP)

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Practical info

Getting there: metro line A, Parque Berrío station. You come out practically on the square.
When to go: during the day and on weekdays. The square changes considerably after dark and is not an area for strolling at night.
How long: an hour for the square and the Palacio de la Cultura; two or three more if you go into the Museo de Antioquia.
What to bring: very little, and well tucked away. This is a dense city centre: backpack in front, phone in your pocket, nothing valuable on show.
Entry: the square is public and free, open at any hour. The Palacio de la Cultura is free. The Museo de Antioquia charges admission.
How to combine it: the square, the Palacio de la Cultura and the Museo de Antioquia are within two hundred metres of each other and fit into one morning.

Frequently asked questions

Can you touch the sculptures?

Yes, and that is part of the point. They were made to live among people, not to be viewed from behind a rope.

How much does it cost to enter the square?

Nothing. It is an open public space, accessible at any hour.

Is it safe to go on my own?

By day and with the normal precautions of any city centre, yes. It is a very busy area with a police presence. At night it changes and we do not recommend it.

How much time do I need?

An hour covers the square and the Palacio de la Cultura comfortably. Add the museum and you are looking at half a morning.

Is the Museo de Antioquia worth it?

If Botero interests you, yes: it is the largest collection of his work in Colombia and complements what you see outside. The square has the monumental sculpture; inside is the painting and the full arc of his work.