PHOTOS - Miraflores Locks Museum (Panama City, 4/11/2010)

Listed as one of the "Wonders of the Modern World" by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the PANAMA CANAL makes for an awe-inspiring day trip from Panama City.

You may also enjoy the scenic train ride from Panama City to the Free Trade Zone of Colon (train runs only Monday-Friday, leaving Panama City Railway Station very early morning - around 7:30am).

Some images from the Miraflores Locks Museum (Sunday, April 11th 2010)

Admission: $8.00 USD for the complete package (access to the museum, observation decks and theater).

About 14 km out of the city (15-20 minutes taxi ride from Downtown Panama City), the newly created Visitors Centre and Museum sits right on the edge of the double lock.

A small, but comfortable Theatre is also located within the Visitors Center.

Inside the MIRAFLORES LOCKS MUSEUM there are 4 floors of information on the canal and its surroundings, which takes around 1 hour to get through.

Outside there is an Observation Deck (and small restaurant) where you can observe boats going through the locks with full commentary

detailing what the boats are and where they are going (in English and Spanish).

This may be the best place to learn about the Panama Canal's history and how the canal works - watch it in action.

(note that early morning you may not see any ships going though the locks - we were told on Sunday that the first ship was scheduled for 1pm that day)

Some more images from the Miraflores Locks Museum (Sunday, April 11th 2010)

Outside there is an Observation Deck (and small restaurant) where you can observe boats going through the locks with full commentary

detailing what the boats are and where they are going (in English and Spanish).

Inside the MIRAFLORES LOCKS MUSEUM there are 4 floors of information on the canal and its surroundings, which takes around 1 hour to get through.

Thanks for sharing. We'll be there on 5/12. Picture 9 clearly shows a blue "bulls-eye". Wonder what's up with that :eek:. The last photo of the 3 workers, 2 brooms and one hose, was interesting, too. I bet it'll take a LOOOOOnnnng time to fill up the lock that way. :D

ENJOY!

The bull's eye is the bullet stop for when they line up errant employees and dispatch some instant justice;)! Really, the bull's eye is used for the linehandlers to practice throwing heaving lines. Looking at that same pic there are two uprights on either side of the target, a crosspiece is placed across at various heights to imitate the height of a ship's siderail. It is all geared towards making accurate throws with heaving lines and once a year they have a competition between the linehandlers of the different locks on the Canal.

Hope you enjoy your transit.

I will be on a cruise ship going completely through the panama canal. While the ship is docked in Panama City, Is a visit to Miraflores Locks and the museum a worthwhile visit or is it more applicable to visitors that have not cruised through the locks? What are your impressions of the visit to the Miraflores Locks and the museum?

That's a little hard to say. While I have not been to Miraflores Locks since the new museum was opened, I'm sure it would be interesting. You would ccertainly see things from a different perspective. Honestly, though I think you would hear many of the same descriptions of the lock operations that you may have heard while you were on your transit. There are some equipment displays that you might find interesting, not knowing how "mechanical" your interests are.

The bull's eye is the bullet stop for when they line up errant employees and dispatch some instant justice;)! Really, the bull's eye is used for the linehandlers to practice throwing heaving lines. Looking at that same pic there are two uprights on either side of the target, a crosspiece is placed across at various heights to imitate the height of a ship's siderail. It is all geared towards making accurate throws with heaving lines and once a year they have a competition between the linehandlers of the different locks on the Canal.

 

Hope you enjoy your transit.

That's a little hard to say. While I have not been to Miraflores Locks since the new museum was opened, I'm sure it would be interesting. You would ccertainly see things from a different perspective. Honestly, though I think you would hear many of the same descriptions of the lock operations that you may have heard while you were on your transit. There are some equipment displays that you might find interesting, not knowing how "mechanical" your interests are.

I will be on a cruise ship going completely through the panama canal. While the ship is docked in Panama City, Is a visit to Miraflores Locks and the museum a worthwhile visit or is it more applicable to visitors that have not cruised through the locks? What are your impressions of the visit to the Miraflores Locks and the museum?[/quote]

 

Thanks, Bill! Great eye you have and solid expertise, man!

 

 

To make it worth, you may want to go after 12noon or 1pm to make sure you see at least one ship going through the Miraflores Locks.

 

Early morning on Sunday, there was no ship to be seen (1st one on that day was scheduled for around 1pm). Still, we did enjoy our visit to the Museum very much... very informative... modern facility... nice breeze on the Observation Deck and cold drinks at the nearb by restaurant...

Shouldn't take more than 1 hour (1.5 hr)...

 

You can also just buy the partial package that allows you to skip the Theater presentation and the exibitions and simply stay at the Observation Deck as long as you please.

 

We did the Panama Canal aboard a ship in the past and it was nice to see the Miraflores Locks from the land as well - especially early morning when the employees are working hard to clean up : )

Thanks, Bill. Very interesting. Keep the monkey fist flying. I actually used to know how to tie one of those, years ago. Practice, practice, practice...

ENJOY!

I will be on a cruise ship going completely through the panama canal. While the ship is docked in Panama City, Is a visit to Miraflores Locks and the museum a worthwhile visit or is it more applicable to visitors that have not cruised through the locks? What are your impressions of the visit to the Miraflores Locks and the museum?[/quote]

 

Thanks, Bill! Great eye you have and solid expertise, man!

 

 

To make it worth, you may want to go after 12noon or 1pm to make sure you see at least one ship going through the Miraflores Locks.

 

Early morning on Sunday, there was no ship to be seen (1st one on that day was scheduled for around 1pm). Still, we did enjoy our visit to the Museum very much... very informative... modern facility... nice breeze on the Observation Deck and cold drinks at the nearb by restaurant...

Shouldn't take more than 1 hour (1.5 hr)...

 

You can also just buy the partial package that allows you to skip the Theater presentation and the exibitions and simply stay at the Observation Deck as long as you please.

 

We did the Panama Canal aboard a ship in the past and it was nice to see the Miraflores Locks from the land as well - especially early morning when the employees are working hard to clean up : )

 

Those were great pics of the Enchantment you posted on the other thread, she's a great ship. Wanted to do something out of Colon, just couldn't fit it in.

 

Happy Cruising!

Thanks, Bill. Very interesting. Keep the monkey fist flying. I actually used to know how to tie one of those, years ago. Practice, practice, practice...

ENJOY!

I just knew how to stay out of their way when they are flying:eek:!!