Walking along the streets of David, it is not immediately possible to notice the famous and beloved History and Art Museum Jose Domingo de Obaldia. Firstly, the entire district is built in the colonial style. Secondly, the museum is small and its building is not so attractive. However, there are amazing collections inside.

To begin with, the museum is located in the house of a famous person Jose Domingo de Obaldia. He was the head of the Chiriquí province, to which the city of David belongs.

The building of the museum was built in 1834. The design was based on the colonial-style that was popular at that time: limestone and stone walls, a high wooden porch, and a tiled roof. In the mid-nineteenth century, most houses looked like this. Unfortunately, only a few of them have survived. This building has been preserved because it was first owned by notable people, and then the first historical museum in the city was opened there in 1976.

Since the house was transferred to the museum with the entire interior, you can still see how prosperous people lived in David in the middle of the 19th century: furniture, dishes, decorative items have been preserved in perfect condition.

Besides, there are several special rooms: archaeological, religious and artistic, historical, Spanish. So each room of the mansion is dedicated to a specific museum section and has its thematic exhibitions.

Even though the museum is small, you can spend several hours there as the expositions are large and exciting. There are artifacts, ranging from archaeological excavations to household utensils of the 50s of the last century. The hall of religious art is especially interesting: you can observe how folk beliefs and Christian culture, brought to the country by Europeans, intertwine over time.