National Theatre of Costa Rica Site Features

The theatre's ornate foyer, with its marble floors, gilded detailing, and grand staircase, is as much a draw for many visitors as the auditorium itself. The ceiling mural in the vestibule, depicting an allegorical scene of coffee and banana harvesting, has become one of the building's most recognized images — a fitting nod to the export economy that paid for the building — and its image famously appeared on Costa Rica's 5-colón banknote for decades.

The main auditorium itself, with its horseshoe-shaped seating and richly decorated ceiling, remains a fully working performance space, home to the National Symphony Orchestra's regular season alongside touring international productions.