The Malecón 2000 boardwalk complex includes several cultural institutions at its southern end: a natural history museum, the Naim Museum of Archaeology with a strong pre-Columbian collection, and an IMAX cinema. The cluster of buildings serves as an entertainment and educational anchor for the southern stretch of the riverfront promenade.
The natural history museum has a good display on Ecuador's extraordinary biodiversity — the country has more bird species per square kilometre than almost anywhere on earth — and the IMAX theatre runs documentary films. Both are worth visiting on a hot afternoon when walking the full length of the Malecón feels less appealing.