People who aren’t interested in culture, history, or science would be challenged to have a pleasant and joyful time in museums. Usually, there is always a more educative approach when spending hours in museums. Missing entertaining factors and few interactions make some museum visits often dull and boring. But there is one museum in the Dominican Republic, that deserves a visit. If you are visiting the northern coast of Sosua, you should visit a non-categorizable and odd museum. Read this article and find out more about Mundo Art King Museum: The weirdest museum of the Dominican Republic.

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Approximate reading time: 5 minutes

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Where is Castillo Mundo King?

You can find the museum Castillo Mundo King in Sosua on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. It’s easy to find and visible from far distances on the hill. A bit away from the Caribbean turbulences at the beaches, you’ll find it on Calle Camino Libre. That’s somehow the perfect street name for a museum like that if you ask me. It means translated ‘Free Way Street’ and that’s a perfect fit for what expects you there.

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If you can’t find it, you can use as well the following GPS coordinates of Castillo Mundo King:

Latitude: 19° 45′ 51.882″ N
Longitude: 70° 42′ 35.616″ W

It’s also known as Mundo King Art Museum in English. But the original Spanish version is more common. People in Sosua definitely know this place. You can’t miss it. Here is the reason why:

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What is Castillo Mundo King?

What it is? Although I’m a travel blogger and I love to juggle with words, I have difficulties shaping a good one-sentence description about Castillo Mundo King. Discover and experience it yourself in the following photos and videos. I could also ask the same question about art. A good idea actually.

What is art? That’s one of the centric questions of philosophy and art itself. Thousands of different answers and definitions to that question exist. All are right and wrong at the same time because it lies in the eye of the beholder. I had the chance to visit a museum in Sosúa which confused, irritated, and disturbed my eyes in a sustained manner. In a way, I haven’t seen any comparable museum with the approach before or after.

In that sense, the presented exhibits, artifacts, and ornaments left a fingerprint on my mind. Something I will never forget and will always be able to remind. Hence, I recommend investing 2-3 of a morning for a visit. Castillo Mundo King is worth the visit. What would you expect from an entrance like this?

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I paid about 300 Dominican Pesos (almost $6.00) for admission per person to Castillo Mundo King. That’s pretty much for a museum far away from urban cities. A more difficult question would be, if the money was justified.

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A very informal Haitian gatekeeper charged me the price and offered himself as a guide. Already at the entrance, I realized not needing any external help to explain what it’s all about. My first impression was already a punch with a hammer that didn’t need any further explanation.

Thus, I rejected any help from the happy and friendly Haitian guide at the entrance doors. No further details needed, I was already fulfilled with the first impression of what was presented to me.

Do I like or dislike Castillo Mundo King in Sosúa?

That’s difficult to say. But I need to admit, that I neither liked nor disliked what I saw. Maybe, because it exceeded my expectations, respectively showed me things I would never assume exist. Could you ever dream about a museum that interweaves Haitian Voodoo masterpieces, extraterrestrial ornaments, and colorful explosions on walls?

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It seems like an architectural timeless masterpiece and a deformity at the same time. Synthesis of a freak show and a nightmare. Fearful anticipations and aggrieving reactions simultaneously. But also, admiration and astonishment as to the sheer dimension and structure of the museum.

Speaking of dimension and structure that is unique: You get lost amongst the different wings and platforms. Don’t expect any rectangular or edgy shapes of its architectonic design. Expect the unexpected in Castillo Mundo King. Or nothing at all. But you will find corridors, hallways, and obstructed floors everywhere. More rule as an exception. I felt somehow reminded to jump and run video games and was challenged to jump and run amongst the different platforms.

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One of the cool things is the rooftop view. On the highest accessible platform, you have an ocean view over the whole area of Sosua and can see the Atlantic Ocean. That was pretty impressive for me to see.

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After the German architect and constructer Rolf Schulz died in January 2018, the museum more and more decays and rots away. He was the proprietor of this museum and designed it as he dreamed about it. Maybe the YouTube-video I linked in the beginning of my article gives a good impression about him as a character. When he died, the museum was semi-professional and informally continued.

Its run-down shape amplifies your visual perception

In a way, the run-down condition of the museum contributes to the certain mood it embodies. If it would be perfectly clean and a professionally guided museum, it’s no fit for Castillo Mundo King. Natural attritions of direct influence of sunshine, rain, and wind deform and bleach out the exhibition and museum as a whole. Water damages due to accumulated rain and foliage from adjacent forests add up to the natural influences.

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I visited Castillo Mundo King before the global pandemic. Without any income from visitors or sponsors, I’m not sure in what condition the museum and its exhibitions would be now. When I visited the Mundo Art King Museum, everything was semi-formal and very loosely organized. Chances are high, that the decay of the museum advanced in the meantime or that it is overrun by squatters. Thus, I can guarantee nothing, because all my photos were from before the global pandemic.

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It would be worth a try to visit their Social Media channels. Their Instagram account is pretty up-to-date and taking a look at Facebook is also a good idea. In any event: If you like to have an English-speaking guide for in-depth knowledge about that place, I’d recommend you to send them a request.

Maybe you can leave a comment on how the museum is doing now if you were curious enough to visit it. I’d be curious as well to find out if the museum will continue as such. In a certain way, it would be sad and disappointing, if it closes its doors one day.

How would I describe Castillo Mundo King? As an eccentric, odd, disturbing, weird, and uncomfortable artistic synthesis you won’t find elsewhere. Definitely worth a visit. Usually, museums are dedicated to approaching a certain discipline, wisdom, or personality.

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But what is the real approach of Castillo Mundo King? You need to visit the museum and find that out by yourself. I can tell, that my visit of Castillo Mundo King was from my perspective a real inspiration and something inconceivable.

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