Experience Centro Habana and Prado
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Designed by the Cuban architect Rodolfo Maruri and the Belgian architect Paul Belau, the presidential palace was inaugurated in 1920 by Mario García Menocal, and it remained the residence for all subsequent presidents until 1965. The building has Neo-Classical elements, and was decorated by Tiffany of New York. It contains works by the leading Cuban decorators of the early 1900s and by sculptors such as Juan José Sicre, Esteban Betancourt and Fernando Boada. In stark contrast, the museum features documents, photographs and memorabilia presenting an overview of the Cubans’ struggle for independence from the colonial period on, focusing in particular on the 1959 revolution – from the guerrilla war to the “Special Period” in the 1990s.
t A dome topping the Museo de la Revolución’s exterior
Granma Memorial
The large glass-and-cement pavilion behind the museum contains the yacht Granma (named after its first owner’s grandmother). In 1956, this boat brought Fidel Castro and some of his comrades from Mexico to Cuba to begin the struggle against Batista. The yacht is now immortalized in the museum to remind visitors of Castro’s bravery and willpower.