You should check out the Panama Canal Museum at the Miraflores Visitors Center. At the Miraflores locks you will find the Canal´s 4-story museum. It will show you most everything you need to know about Panama and the Canal. The best thing to do first is to watch one of the movie presentations in the theatre on the ground floor. The theatre presentations are divided for English and Spanish speaking people. Then I suggest you move on to the actual Museum. There are four different exhibition halls: The History Hall, The Hall of Water, The Canal in Action, and finally, The Canal in the World. After you get thru one floor of the museum, you take an escalator up to the next floor, and it goes on for several floors.

Not only does the Panama Canal Museum talk about and exhibit information related to the construction of the Canal, but it educates you about other exceptional things that Panama offers. For instance, the flora and fauna in Panama is very unique. Many species are not found anywhere else in the world. Additionally, in one of the several floors of the museum, one can enjoy the experience of a ship Captain going thru the canal. There is a simulator that helps enhance the experience. It makes you feel like you are actually controlling a giant ship. It is best when no one else is around, so you can control it yourself. If other people are in there then it is difficult to control because too many people are crowded in it and do not even know that it is a simulator. In that case you are out of luck. I have been to the Canal Museum when it is empty and when it is full. It is much better empty. You get to do more things without a herd of people around you, pushing you around. But every time I have gone it has been a Saturday, so you can never really tell what the outcome is until you get there.

There are several outdoor observation decks where you can get a close view of the ships as they navigate thru the canal. And there are also a couple of snack bars, a gift shop, and a nice restaurant with a great view! The visitor center offers a partial package and a complete package. For resident adults the complete package is $3.00 USD and the partial package is FREE. For non-resident adults the complete package is only $8.00 USD and the partial package is $5.00 USD. It is definitely worth getting the complete package because it includes the theatre presentation and exhibit halls. The Panama Canal Museum is an enjoyable, educational activity for children and adults!