The Old Cathedral of Managua was initially designed and shipped from Belgium in 1920. After surviving an earthquake in 1931, it was almost destroyed during the earthquake in 1972. The city hall decided to build a new cathedral, but the renovation of the old cathedral began as well. The old tower clock, damaged during the late 80's Contra War, was removed during the extensive renovation of the cathedral in the late 1990's and it now is exhibited in the National Palace of Culture.
The monument dedicated to the national poet of Nicaragua, Ruben Dario, is located in the park with the same name. The statue of the poet shows him with his hand over his heart, surrounded by muses. Ruben Dario is one of the founders of modernism in the Spanish literary tradition.
The National Museum of Nicaragua is located in an old building in the center of the capital, and features a large collection of historical attractions, including pre-Colombian artifacts, Spanish items, and modern and contemporary pieces. The museum has nine rooms (five for the Nicaraguan history, two for Modern Art, one for Paleontology and one for Natural History) showing the turbulent times of Nicaragua's long history of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Museum volunteers are willing to answer any question about the artifacts. The museum is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Rubén Darío National Theatre is a futurist building in the center of the Nicaraguan capital. The building celebrates the Nicaraguan art and culture along with the memory of Rubén Darío, the national poet, whose birth centenary was in 1967. The architect, José Francisco Terán Callejas, designed the theater with a capacity of 1199 persons. The theater features visual art displays, musical performances and theater productions. It also houses art exhibitions of painters and sculptors from all over the country.
