When the former President of the United States Jimmy Carter, same one who signed the treaties that gave back the Panamá Canal to the Panamanian people, saw the magnificence of the Miraflores visitors hub he joyfully raised his hands. This gesture was captured by local T.V. channels and it was identified as: Panamanians have done well!.
The building located on the east side of the Miraflores locks allows visitors to observe ships transit at a short distance and to know how gigantic water chambers operate. In 2005, this hub center received around 351,000 visitors in 2006 around 410,000, 509,000 in 2007. These numbers show that builders never thought that the Panama Canal would ever become such a tourist attraction.
A singular building
This singular building offers a complete experience of the Canal. In its three observation terraces view sights as we already said, shipment gateways can be seen, but in its four exhibitions with floors connected through with electric stairs or elevators there is much more to learn about. On the first floor, visitors find the History Hall, where you can learn about the desires of the Spanish King Carlos V of having a canal, then the French Period and finally when the North Americans succeeded in the Canal construction.
There is a great curiosity among North Americans and West Indians to look for their ancestors through a computer that stores a name data base of all the people who participated in the construction stage from 1903-1914. Besides on this floor you can watch videos, dredge ships models, and enjoy huge photos and scaled images of the canal workers. After going up on the electric stairs, there is a floor dedicated to Water where they sum up the importance of the main element the one that makes the water gate function and the distribution of the watershed as a source of life. Lakes and the canal forests have a rich biodiversity and are the scenarios for experiments and scientific studies.
Rooms
The third floor is dedicated to the Canal in Action. This floor shows a the paradox of the simple but complete functioning of the Canal and a simulator surprises all visitors by allowing them to transit a ship through Miraflores locks. The wall is built-in in gigantic topographic scale model which explains to everyone in a graphic way the dimensions of the waterway, within the regional geography. These rooms have relaxing benches to sit while enjoying the experience.
Schedules
Tickets are sold from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Exhibition rooms, sodas and souvenir store from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Miraflores Restaurant from 12:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Complete tour rates:
Non-residents
Adults US$ 8.00
Retired US$ 4.00
Students and Minors US$ 5.00
Locals US$ 3.00
Retired locals US$ 1.50
Students US$ 2.00
The fourth floor is targeted to the Canal and the World. Here you find the trade routes, main cargo transits and other kinds of vessels that transit the Canal the users of the canal as well as a brief model of the technique of the third set of locks, the key elements for the expansion. The Miraflores visitor’s center has two cafeterias and a big restaurant with gourmet cuisine and great services for tourism. The Miraflores restaurant has worldwide recognition. One of the highlights of this place is the theater with 184 comfortable seats and with high technology where videos of the canal are shown.
A souvenir store is also much visited. María Teresa de Meana, manager of this center, says that the place has become well known and that it is usually booked to celebrate social and cultural events. She also says that the Center´s bilingual guides make it a very special experience, they are kind and skilled people with a detailed knowledge of the Canal.
The Miraflores Visitors hub has become a national pride. It is a protocol scenario where Presidents and diplomats of other nations are sworn. Big famous stars like Ricky Martin, Raúl Di Blassio, Julio Iglesias and others have enjoyed the diversity of activities of this building. Cruise lines include this place as one of their most important tours. If you haven´t been there, you should soon visit it, for it is considered a worldwide attraction.
Andrés Villa / The Panama Post
andres.villa@rimolamedios.com
There is a great curiosity among North Americans and West Indians to look for their ancestors through a computer that stores a name data base of all the people who participated in the construction stage from 1903-1914. Besides on this floor you can watch videos, dredge ships models, and enjoy huge photos and scaled images of the canal workers. After going up on the electric stairs, there is a floor dedicated to Water where they sum up the importance of the main element the one that makes the water gate function and the distribution of the watershed as a source of life. Lakes and the canal forests have a rich biodiversity and are the scenarios for experiments and scientific studies.
