It is hard to miss the Luis A. Ferré Science Park (Parque de las Ciencias Luis A. Ferré) in Bayamón. If you haven’t seen the NASA rockets pointing toward the ionosphere, you have certainly seen the huge hilltop cross that marks the spot—and commemorates the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ Encounter with the New World. Countless commuters gaze at these landmarks every day as they make their way to and from their offices and homes.
The Science Park merits a major stop along the museum trail, if only for spending an hour or two among the original paintings by some of Puerto Rico’s finest artists from the 1940s to the 1970s. They are housed in the Bayamón Museum of Art, one of a dozen or so installations within the 42-acre park.
The major attraction in the art museum is Augusto Marín’s masterpiece Fiat Voluntas Tua. This huge work, one of 50 crucifixions the artist produced during his lifetime, dominates the foyer. Other important Puerto Rican paintings and other works in the permanent collection are by Arnaldo Maas, Andy Bueso, Alfonso Arana, Epifanio Irizarry, Carmelo Sobrino, Félix Rodríguez Báez, Oscar Colón Delgado, and Miguel Pou. This is a good place to take youngsters who have not seen a modern art museum. In addition to prints by such contemporary masters as Mark Chagall, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and others, there is a large, beautifully displayed series of reproductions of world-famous paintings.
Since its opening in 1968, the park has become a popular place for local families and visitors to spend a day (it’s open from Wednesday to Sunday). The variously themed museums, exhibits, and zoo are located around a small lake and tropical park—so comfortable shoes and cool clothes are recommended. Smaller kids will like the mini-zoo, well-stocked with peacocks and other fowl, monkeys and apes, a huge hippo, turtles, alligators, and other animals.
Everyone will enjoy the Transportation Museum, which houses a locomotive and a large assortment of antique 
and collectors’ cars, trucks, and farm equipment—and includes the island’s oldest bicycle. At the Space Plaza, there are the famous Mercury Atlas, Gemini Titan, Jupiter and Mercury Redstone missiles; helicopters; jets; and other real-life military and space matériel.
Probably the most unique exhibits are dedicated to local television personalities. One is an entire village—Ciudad Torito—that reproduces the TV world of José Miguel Agrelot, a popular comedian on the island from the 1940s until his death in 2004 (his wake was held in the village). The other is a museum dedicated to Joaquín Monserrat, best known as “Pacheco,” who hosted a popular children’s program from the 1960s to the 1990s.
Digital-age youngsters (and certainly their parents) will find the Telephone Museum interesting. It assembles equipment that dates from the age of the telegraph to multiparty lines, switchboards, and pay phones—a world that has virtually disappeared in less than a generation. Next to it is the Marine Ecosystem Museum (Museo Eco-Sistema Marino) that helps visitors understand the importance of preserving and protecting our rivers and seas.
One of the most impressive exhibits is in the Archeology Museum (Museo de Arqueología Indígena). A surprisingly large collection of artifacts is assembled here, from petroglyphs to cooking implements, and burial objects. Several small dioramas depict Taíno dances, games, and other rituals. There is a Planetarium, a Natural History Museum (with an odd collection of taxidermy), and an interactive Health Pavilion. A Panoramic Elevator once lifted guests to a hilltop plaza, but its service has been suspended. 
Most of the exhibits and their documentation are in Spanish, but the guides—many of whom have been with the museum since it opened— are happy to answer questions and explain the collections to English-speaking visitors.
Luis A. Ferré Science Park
(787-740-6878) is about 20 minutes from San Juan. To get there, drive westbound (oeste) on Expressway 22. Take Exit 13, turn left toward Road 167 (go underneath the expressway) and in about one mile you will see the rockets. The park is open Wednesday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (ticket sales end at 2:00 p.m.) and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (ticket sales end at 4:00 p.m.). Admission at the time of writing is $3.00 for children ages 2-12, $5.00 for adults ages 13-64, and $2.50 for senior citizens. Parking is $1.00 per car.
