out of the text books, doesnot take long to see but makes you think of the grand old days of cuba . many other buildings to see in the area. Hang onto your wallet
The oldest complete pharmacy I think anywhere. The tour cost us 3 pesos each but wow. We were there for at least an hour. The guide was very thorough and spoke good English. Everything is at it was in 1964. Look carefully at some of the products and they still exist today. Honestly, besides eating, this was the highlight of Mantanzas!
They have managed to preserve a very interesting piece of history, including the original ledgers from the pharmacist! Entry was inexpensive and photos were not a problem. Worth a look if you're in the area.
On a day tour of Matanzas, a up-country farm and the Bellamar Caves, we visited the Pharmacy Museum. Opened in 1832, and turned into a museum before the end of the 1800s [as I recall], this look into the past provided us with an interesting view of medical practices and Cuban lifestyles in the late 1800s. Well worth seeing if you are in Matanzas. It's even worth going there as a destination because you'll get to see a "real" Cuban town where real Cubans live.
This museum is not to be missed. It is a real historical treat. Not very often do you go to a museum with basically everything that was used there from the beginning. We loved our visit here.
Pharmacy Museum, on the lovely Plaza de la Libertad, is essentially the same as when it closed in the early 1960s and included not only the display cases but the empty bottles for dispensing drugs and the equipment for making the drugs. Note particularly the doors on the second floor living quarters that leave a four-foot open space above the door for circulation and the cool tile floors that would make it bearable on hot summer days.
One of the first things you will discover about this pharmacy is, the more you read about it the more stories there seem to be. Some say it was originally in Havana opened in 1853, others that it was opened on this spot by the Triolett family in 1882. Some say it was the first in Latin America, however, how could it been if the first was opened by The Catalá, Sarrá and Co. society in Havana in 1853. If I have discovered one feature about Cuba, it is that they seem to be re-writing their history regularly, and sadly, frequently erasing much of the history that occurred before the revolution. My advice would be to ignore the stories and enjoy it for what it is, a truly magnificent collection of historic pieces, regardless of where they came from, assembled in one location. As a visitor you can't help but feel that the pharmacist left on an errand a century ago and never returned.
bel établissement resté authentique - à visiter - pour 3 cuc elle vaut le détour . Tout y est ; les flacons sont encore pleins de leurs essences de fleurs. L'arrière boutique avec son alambic....
Quite interesting... you'll want to take photos and for that you'll have to surrender some pesos here and there to some of the women guarding the rooms.Questionable whether it's suitable for children... you may not be able to appreciate it as much if you're constantly looking after them.
As part of the Bellamar Cave tour, plan to spend 45 minutes here. Wonderful to see it being preserved. Old cash registers, pharmaceutical medicines, tools, jars, books, etc.