Palacio Nacional de la Cultura

OVERVIEW

The vast green palace built for President Jorge Ubico between 1939 and 1943 on the north side of the central plaza, in a mixture of Spanish Renaissance and neoclassical styles with murals by Alfredo Gálvez Suárez. It housed the presidency until the 1990s and is now the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, a museum and the setting for state ceremonies; the peace accords of 1996 were signed here.

HISTORY

Ubico ruled as a dictator from 1931 to 1944 and built the palace as the emblem of his state; he was forced out the year after it opened. The building has been the stage for coups, protests and the daily changing of the guard ever since.

REPORTED ACTIVITY

Guides and night security, quoted in the Guatemalan press, describe doors opening and closing on their own, lights and appliances switching on, objects moved and footsteps in empty corridors, and attribute them to Ubico himself, who is said to walk his palace. The story is told on the public tours as the building's own legend.

VISITING

Open to visitors with guided tours; the ceremonial rooms and murals are the draw.