Paleontological Museum, Bolivar - Carchi

★★★★★ 4.5/5 (5,732 reviews) Excellent

About This Museum

Tucked away in the town of Bolívar, along the winding Pan-American Highway in Ecuador's northern highlands, this museum feels like a quiet rebellion against its modest surroundings. Step inside and you're immediately transported millions of years back, to a time when this very region was a vast coastal plain. The star of the show is an astonishingly complete skeleton of a giant ground sloth, Eremotherium, whose towering frame dominates the main hall. It’s a humbling encounter that makes the ancient world feel startlingly present.

Collection Highlights

Beyond the colossal ground sloth, look for the massive, disc-like shell of a Glyptodon and the formidable sabers of a Smilodon skull. The collection is rich with smaller marine fossils—delicate shells and intricate bone fragments—that paint a vivid picture of the prehistoric sea that once covered the area.

Visitor Information

It's located right on Avenida Mantilla y Panamericana (look for G35X+56C), making it an easy and rewarding pit stop if you're traveling between Quito and the Colombian border. The atmosphere is unpretentious and welcoming, perfect for a curious family or anyone with an hour to spare for a journey deep into prehistory.

Architecture & Building

Housed in a simple, functional building with a clean, modern facade, its unassuming exterior gives little hint of the paleontological treasures waiting within.

Contact & Location

Address: Bolívar, Ecuador

Phone: +593 6-228-7384 216