Guatemala’s army history museum, the Servicio de Historia Militar (also called Museo Militar or Museo del Ejército), charges foreigners Q10, Guatemalans Q5 and students Q3, and opens Monday to Saturday. It sits inside the Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias in zona 1. The prices are the Ministry of Culture’s SIC directory’s and match a Guatemala.com article from January 2024; both read on 9 November 2026.
The two sources disagree on hours: the ministry’s directory says 9:00 to 16:00 and Guatemala.com says 8:00 to 14:00. Going between 9:00 and 14:00 fits both. Neither source lists a museum website; Guatemala.com points to the museum’s Facebook page and its Instagram account, @museodelejercitoguatemala.
In short: Foreigners Q10, nationals Q5, students Q3. Monday-Saturday; 9:00-14:00 is the window both published schedules share. Inside the Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias, zona 1, beside the open-air theatre. Uniforms, artillery, flags, presidential sashes, and a library and video library on Guatemala’s military history.
Quick summary
| Item | Detail | Who publishes it (read 9 Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Foreigners | Q10 | SIC directory (undated); Guatemala.com (Jan 2024) |
| Guatemalans (general public) | Q5 | SIC directory; Guatemala.com |
| Students | Q3 | SIC directory; Guatemala.com |
| Days | Monday to Saturday | SIC directory; Guatemala.com |
| Hours | 9:00-16:00 (SIC) · 8:00-14:00 (Guatemala.com) | Two sources disagree |
| Location | Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias, zona 1, next to the open-air theatre | AGN, 18 May 2021; Guatemala.com |
| Street listed | 6a Avenida, postal code 01001 | SIC directory |
| serimfer@gmail.com | SIC directory | |
| Social media | Facebook: Museo del Ejército Guatemala · Instagram: @museodelejercitoguatemala | Guatemala.com |
Hours: two schedules, one overlap
| Source | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Culture SIC directory, undated | Monday-Saturday | 9:00-16:00 |
| Guatemala.com (Aprende), published December 2023, updated January 2024 | Monday-Saturday | 8:00-14:00 |
Guatemala.com’s article cites the SIC listing for part of its text, yet prints shorter hours, so the two cannot both be current. Neither lists Sunday opening. For an afternoon visit, message the museum’s social accounts first, or aim for the late morning.
Prices
Both sources agree on the three prices: Q10 for foreigners, Q5 for Guatemalans (Guatemala.com calls this público en general), and Q3 for students. Neither mentions whether children pay, whether there is a group rate, or whether cards are taken.
Where it is
The state news agency AGN, in a report dated 18 May 2021, places the museum in the former fort of San José de Buena Vista, which is now the Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias, inside the complex and next to the open-air theatre. Guatemala.com also places it in the Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias. The Ministry of Culture’s directory gives only a street and postal code, 6a Avenida, 01001. The cultural centre itself is at 24 Calle 3-81, zona 1, the address the ticket seller eTicket prints for its shows. If you are already going to a show there, our Teatro Nacional events page covers the cultural centre’s halls and programme.
What is inside
The Ministry of Culture’s directory describes the museum’s job as spreading the history of Guatemala’s army through research and collecting. It lists uniforms, artillery batteries and military weapons on display, plus a library and a video library that explains military training, air force practice and how the army has evolved.
Guatemala.com’s article adds that the collection represents military life in the 1800s, with:
- Several national flags (pabellones nacionales).
- Battle formations used in historic battles.
- Uniforms more than a hundred years old.
- Batteries and heavy weapons from different periods.
- The presidential sashes of Justo Rufino Barrios and Miguel García Granados.
AGN’s 2021 report says the objects tell the military history of Guatemala and of the Central American battles.
Name and history
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Opened as the Museo Heráldico de Armas del Ejército de Guatemala | SIC directory; AGN |
| 1998 | Restructuring work begins; AGN says the restoration was arranged through the Instituto de Antropología e Historia (IDAEH) | SIC directory; AGN |
| 25 May 1999 | Works concluded; renamed Servicio de Historia Militar, known as Museo Militar | SIC directory; AGN |
AGN’s account fills in the years between. Around 1993 the Ministerio de la Defensa Nacional (MDN) authorised a commission to review the museum’s functions and responsibilities and considered a fund to remodel it. The commission recommended separating the museum out as a Servicio de Historia Militar; its organisation chart was approved three years later but then stayed on hold.
When it was renamed, the museum was placed under the army’s Departamento de Información y Divulgación, per the ministry’s directory. AGN described the service in 2021 as having an educational and cultural role, promoting the army’s history at every level of the education system. It also reported expansion projects in planning, both administrative and in the exhibitions, and that a Centro de Información de Veteranos was planned for the monument to those who gave their lives for peace, freedom and democracy.
Nearby on our site
- The Banco de Guatemala’s free coin and banknote museum, also in zona 1: Museo Numismático.
- The National Palace tour and other museum fees: Guatemala City museums guide.
- The historic centre: zona 1 and Centro Histórico.
- More ideas: things to do in Guatemala City.
Sources
- Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, SIC listing Museo Servicio de Historia Militar (hours, fees, history, street, email), undated, read 9 November 2026.
- Guatemala.com (Aprende), Museo del Ejército de Guatemala (location, collection, hours, fees, social media), published 18 December 2023, updated 18 January 2024, read 9 November 2026. Secondary.
- eTicket, event page for a show at the Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias (venue address 24 Calle 3-81, Zona 1, 01001): https://www.eticket.gt/masinformacion.aspx?idevento=8704, read 25 September 2026.
- Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias (AGN), 18 May 2021, Museo Servicio de Historia Militar, proyección educativa y cultural para el país, read 9 November 2026.
- Museo Del Ejército Guatemala, Instagram, account checked 9 November 2026.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the military museum in Guatemala City?
Q10 for foreigners, Q5 for Guatemalans and Q3 for students. The Ministry of Culture’s SIC directory (undated) and a Guatemala.com article updated in January 2024 give the same three prices (both read 9 November 2026).
What are the Museo Militar's opening hours?
Monday to Saturday. The Ministry of Culture’s directory lists 9:00 to 16:00; Guatemala.com’s January 2024 article lists 8:00 to 14:00. Arriving between 9:00 and 14:00 falls inside both.
Where is the army museum in Guatemala City?
Inside the Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias in zona 1, next to its open-air theatre, on the site of the old San José de Buena Vista fort, per the state news agency AGN (18 May 2021). The Ministry of Culture’s directory gives 6a Avenida, postal code 01001.
What is the museum's official name?
Servicio de Historia Militar. It opened in 1987 as the Museo Heráldico de Armas del Ejército de Guatemala and took its present name, also known as Museo Militar, on 25 May 1999, per the Ministry of Culture’s directory. Guatemala.com calls it the Museo del Ejército.
What can you see in the Museo Militar?
Uniforms, artillery batteries and weapons of different periods, national flags, battle formations, a library on the army’s battles and a video library on training and the air force. Guatemala.com singles out the presidential sashes of Justo Rufino Barrios and Miguel García Granados.
