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Quinta Normal While the three preceding neighborhoods basically define cool in Santiago, Quinta Normal takes a more subtle approach to its appeal. Situated at the end of line 5, it is the perfect blend of urban grit and natural beauty. The metro is a wonderland of art, cinema, history and fascination in itself. Just above, the verdant park is relaxation come to life. Quinta Normal is home to the Natural History museum, the Artequin children's workshop and gallery, a lagoon for public rowing and even Rent-a-Harley's. It is the perfect neighborhood for a family outing or a relaxing day for two. Just four blocks away sits the recently built Biblioteca de Santiago, home to its own gallery, café and performance space. Though nothing like the MAVI or the more formal galleries on the tour, the Salas Culturales at Quinta Normal make even going to the Metro an experience rather than a necessity. Learn some Chilean history, see some modern art, walk through the park, then take a train to whatever's next. Remember...5 Tips to Viewing Art in Santiago, Chile Galería Quinta Normal Galería Quinta Normal is a small, intimate gallery located just north of the Metro behind the main escalators. As with many of the other spaces around town, this gallery is generally home to local or national artists. It is becoming more frequently used than in the past as the popularity of Quinta Normal continues to soar. Much like the other Metro galleries, the work here is generally modern and colorful. Hours are from 6 a.m. to 10:30 at night, same as the Metro. Admission is free of charge and the gallery (when open) is open to the public. Sala de Pablo Neruda By far the most formal of the Quinta Normal galleries, Sala de Pablo Neruda is located directly above the Galería Quinta Normal on the main floor. This round room doesn't display art regularly. Instead, it is used as a space for release parties as well as a semi-regular Sunday night film series for 100 pesos. When not in use, the room still has a wonderful ambience. Hours are from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., same as the Metro. Admission is free of charge and the gallery (when open) is open to the public. Sala Central For all intents and purposes, the Sala Central is essentially the whole of the Quinta Normal Metro stop. Having no formal boundaries like walls or a ceiling, this gallery houses history, art and science exhibits on a rotating basis. On the north end lay the Sala de Pablo Neruda and the escalators that lead down to the Galería Quinta Normal. Though nothing like the MAVI or the more formal galleries on the tour, the Salas Culturales at Quinta Normal make even going to the Metro an experience rather than a necessity. Hours are from 6 a.m. to 10:30 at night, same as the Metro. Admission is free of charge. Museo Nacional de Historia Natural Where else can you see a blue whale, cavemen, old rocks and weapons? Nowhere. Santiago's Natural History museum is spectacular in scope and fun for all ages. Founded more than 170 years ago, the museum is one of the oldest of its kind in South America. It has won awards and remained one of the most prestigious collections of natural history in the world. Most appealing about the museum is its age. After being moved to Quinta Normal in 1876, the location has stuck. It holds all that stuffy, clay plaster eclecticism that the world has come to love in natural history museums. Two floors showcase everything from the early days of Chilean man to the beginnings of modern life. The museum's centerpiece is a several-ton, fifty-foot long blue whale skeleton. Surrounding this natural gem are other stuffed animals of all sorts. What the museum may lack in modern accoutrements it certainly makes up for in size, collected materials and fun. Documentaries show regularly and professional classes are available. Also offered are beginner classes in environmentalism and archaeology. The National Natural History Museum is located at Castilla 787, just inside Parque Quinta Normal. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is $600 CLP general public, $300 CLP for students and senior citizens, Sundays free. Guided tours are available. They can be contacted by phone at 2-680-4600 or by email at rrpp@mnhn.cl. Their website is www.mnhn.cl. Museo Ferroviario de Santiago In English, the Train Museum. Located on the northern edge of the park just across from Artequin, it is home to a large collection of 16 engines, 4 passenger cars, interactive exhibits and other train paraphernalia. The collection is considered a historical monument and displays restored pieces from two centuries. Included in the collection is the Presidential car used to transport presidents at the beginning of the 20th century. Each piece has bilingual guides detailing its history and mechanical highlights. A special area has been established in the park to teach grade-schoolers and toddlers about the development of modern transportation. Activities including book rental, rail-building workshops and rotating exhibits are available. Guided tours are also available for a small fee depending on the length of the tour. The museum is also open for special school functions and vacations. Hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:50 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, 11 a.m. to 5:50 p.m., and in summer from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $500 CLP for children and students, $800 CLP for adults and $400 CLP for senior citizens. They can be contacted by phone at 2-681-4627 or by email at mferroviarioj@corpdicvt.cl. The museum's website is www.museoferroviario.cl Artequin Who's the child and who's the adult? At Artequin, the difference is small. For more than 12 years Artequin has been offering an interactive high art experience to everyone aged eight to eighty. Sitting just outside the southern entrance to Parque Quinta Normal, this art deco masterpiece of glass-domed ceilings, stained-glass windows and intricate metalwork is an artistic amusement park. From the entryway to the top floor, art is alive and asking to be experienced, enjoyed, explored. The upstairs workshop full of crayons, paper and other creative enticements is hard to resist. Parents wishing to show their young ones something different than the latest telenovela will find the cultural education second to none. Families who long to see the great works of Picasso, Van Gogh, and Monet will revel in the opportunity to have the world's museums brought to their fingertips. The first-rate reprints highlight work from the earliest stars to the modern masters, all for about $1.50 U.S. Throughout the year workshops are available for parents, children and families alike. Guided tours lead visitors through the overwhelming amount of reprints and reproductions-a collection that could easily be the only one of its kind. Burgeoning artists have a studio's worth of paint, paper and space at their fingertips to make their ideas come to life. Color. Classics. Creativity. Encouragement. It's all at Artequin, and it's all waiting. Artequin is located Avenida Portales 3530, two blocks west of Matucana at the southern entrance to Parque Quinta Normal. Hours are Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $800 CLP general public, $500 CLP for students and senior citizens. Workshops, guided tours and other information are available by phone at 2-682-5367. Their website is www.artequin.cl. Biblioteca de Santiago Architectural feat? Library? Alternative meeting space? Interactive learning center? Quite honestly, the newest addition to Santiago's literary landscape is all those and more. An enormous complex that, when complete, will cover nearly a city block, the Biblioteca de Santiago is a librarian's dream. Inside, there is high-speed internet access for nearly 100 visitors, not to mention the free Wi-Fi. Thousands of novels, cook books, magazines and literature on an equal number of topics are available for check-out. DVD players and individual monitors line the back wall of each floor for instant access to the free rental DVD collection. An entire wing of the second floor is devoted entirely to children and children's literature. Private meeting/study/work rooms are even available. Outside sits the old armory turned library that provides one of the single most spectacular pieces of architecture in Santiago. Below is an open-air theatre perfect for performances of Shakespeare or modern dance. Enjoy a natural juice or a light snack in the raw, wide-open vestibule of Café el Habito. And right next to both, enjoy the small, glassed in art gallery that completes the overwhelming cultural experience that Ricardo Lagos inaugurated in 2005. The Biblioteca de Santiago is located at Matucana 151, four blocks south of Metro Quinta Normal. Hours are Tuesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Library cards are available annually for $3000 CLP with ID and proof of residency. They can be contacted by phone at 800-220-600. Their website is www.bibliotecadesantiago.cl and requires Flash. Art in Baquedano and Plaza Italia Museums in Bellas Artes Plaza de Armas: Museums and Art The Green Mile Begins Here |
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