Cuartel de Ballajá

The Cuartel de Ballajá was the Spanish army's final piece of massive military architecture in the Americas. The Cuartel de Ballajá, which stands in front of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, was built between 1854 and 1864 to house the Spanish and Puerto Rican regiments in Old San Juan. The US soldiers occupied the Cuartel de Ballajá until 1936, following the US Army's invasion in 1898. This edifice served as a hospital during WWII, and it was purchased by the Puerto Rican government in 1976. This lovely edifice was eventually abandoned and quickly decayed. Ricardo Alegra, a renowned Puerto Rican archaeologist, proposed remodeling the Cuartel de Ballajá and creating a museum dedicated to the Americas in 1992, as part of the commemoration of the 5th Centenary of the trade between Europeans and the original peoples of the Americas.

The Ballajá Barracks now hosts several educational and cultural institutions, including the Museo de las Américas, which has been located on the second level of the structure since 1992. There are music and dance schools, as well as a library, on the first level. The permanent collections of the Museo de Las Américas are African Heritage, Indians in America, and Popular Arts in America.

Location: Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Timing: Open all day