Museo del Ambar
Location: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (61 Calle Duarte)
When to visit: Open 9-6 Monday through Saturday
Cost: Minimal admission fee, approx. $1-3
Time needed: 15-30 minutes
Website: http://ambermuseum.com
Amber is fossilized tree resin that dripped down a tree, hardened and trapped whatever was inside. At the Amber Museum in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, guests can see dozens of objects captured in amber, including ants, termites, cockroaches, scorpions, sticks, and seeds.
The Dominican amber on display here is from about 25-40 million years ago. Captions are in English and Spanish, and the admission fee is only a couple of dollars, though it’s often included as part of large group tours of the city.
You won’t be able to miss the Amber Museum’s logo since it looks like Jurassic Park. There’s a gift shop here with plenty of amber jewelry and other objects for sale.
Quirky, indeed! Who would have ever thought there would be a museum devoted to bugs trapped in amber?
This place isn’t well-marked either, so you’d never know about it if you didn’t look it up ahead of time. It’s a really cool find!