Altos de Chavon Regional Museum of Archaeology

Located in the stunning replica 16th-century Mediterranean village of Altos de Chavón, the Regional Museum of Archaeology fits right in – though its findings inside go back much further in time than the 16th century.

The museum focuses on artifacts and artwork from the days when the Dominican Republic and Haiti were known as Hispaniola and houses thousands of pieces from this pre-Colombian era, many of which were excavated from the nearbyregion that borders the Chavón River.

Many of the artifacts were left behind by the Tainos, an indigenous group that lived on the island and was drastically affected by the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the late 1400s, which led to devastation for the population. The museum allows visitors to better understand the culture and history of this once powerful group. Another Tainos exhibit at the museum includes drawings of daily Tainos life, created by Boris de la Santos, a Santo Domingo-born artist.