The Museo de Granada occupies a former Franciscan convent near the centre of the city and houses the best collection of pre-Columbian statues in Nicaragua. The highlight is the outdoor gallery of carved stone idols from Isla Zapatera — massive basalt figures, some over a metre tall, depicting human forms with animal heads or creatures perched on shoulders, thought to represent shamanic spirit transformations.
The museum also covers colonial history and the conflicts that repeatedly devastated Granada, including the 1856 William Walker episode. The building itself is worth seeing: the cloister, the painted columns, and the quiet garden provide a welcome respite from the heat outside.