Panama Canal Museum

Although the museum is being revamped, visiting the Miraflores Locks is an unforgettable, world-class experience that absolutely deserves five stars. This iconic location offers one of the most impressive engineering spectacles on the planet, and seeing it in person is both fascinating and inspiring. From the moment you arrive, the organization, cleanliness, and professionalism of the staff set the tone for a memorable visit. The viewing platforms provide excellent angles of the ships transiting through the locks, allowing you to witness the full operation up close—the massive gates opening, the water levels adjusting, and vessels of all sizes navigating with incredible precision. It is a rare opportunity to truly appreciate the scale and genius behind the Panama Canal’s construction and continued operation. If you time your visit well, you can see cargo ships, cruise liners, and even naval vessels passing through. The visitor center and museum are equally impressive, offering detailed exhibits, historical artifacts, interactive displays, and a film that puts the entire canal story into perspective. Everything is presented in a clear and engaging way that appeals to both adults and younger visitors. The facility is well maintained, with clean spaces, good signage, and efficient organization. The restaurant upstairs offers a great view of the locks, making it a perfect spot to enjoy a meal while watching ships pass by. Overall, the Miraflores Locks provide a five-star experience that blends education, history, engineering, and breathtaking views. It is an absolute must-visit attraction in Panama City and one that leaves visitors with a deep appreciation for this marvel of human ingenuity.

The Panama Canal Museum offers informative exhibits, but visitors should be aware that there are different admission prices for foreigners and residents. The historical narrative focuses primarily on the period following the failed French effort, beginning with U.S. intervention, which leaves earlier aspects of the canal’s history less explored. While the displays are well-presented, the scope may feel somewhat limited for those seeking a more comprehensive account of the canal’s full development.

This place is absolutely packed with history, seriously! You can learn so much from exploring all the exhibits. The amount of knowledge available here is truly expansive. Plus, they've got some cool interactive aspects that kids will totally dig. It's a great spot for everyone to soak in some learning.

WARNING you need at least 2.5 hours! This museum is packed with great stories, beautiful works of art, historical artifacts. One hour and we barely got halfway of the 3rd floor! One of the most beautiful museums I've seen and crazy good location. Can't recommend it enough.

Great history of the canal. Very humbling. We went at 4:30 thinking it was enough time before closing at 6 - it absolutely was not. You’ll want 2-3 hours. Great interactive exhibits and first hand accounts.

Its too bad that you have to buy the full price ticket including the movie even if you only want to see ships passing by. It was great apart from the fact that you are not protected by the sun at all, but is was worth it, especially if you can appreciate this very important piece of infrastructure.

This museum offers very informative and nicely presented items on the canal history, in a beautifully restored historic building in old town Panama City. I enjoyed visiting this museum and highly recommend while in the area. There are numerous exhibits and informative items very well presented. It changed my perspective as to how incredible the canal project was. No problem finding parking and many stores/ restaurants nearby.

I enjoyed my experience at this museum and spent about a couple hours walking through the exhibits and reading about the history of Panama and the canal. It was great to learn about how the canal was built as well as the true stories of how workers were recruited and treated during the construction of the locks. I especially enjoyed the exhibit on the flora and fauna of the country.