Palacio de los Pioneros is located on the Avenida Manduley between the 9th and 11th streets.

Monday - Saturday  08:00-16:30
Tuesday - Friday 08:00-19:15
mass: Tuesday - Friday 18:30 Saturday 17:00
Sunday 09:00 and 18:30

PALACIO DE LOS PIONEROS

The palace started to be built as the residence of Catalan José Bosch Vincens in 1906 and finished in 1910. José Bosch Vincens was the co-owner of the farm that occupied the entire area of the neighborhood Vista Alegre. He was one of the wealthiest persons of the high aristocracy of Santiago de Cuba.

The palace is constructed by the Carlos Segrera, a prominent santiagueso architect that also built the house next to the palace, as well as some stunning buildings that has survived intact, like the Emilio Bacardí museum, the Provincial Government Palace, the Hotel Casa Granda, and the Glorieta de Manzanillo.

This house was the largest residence in the city of Santiago de Cuba in the time, and even today it is a building to be admired by those who visit it. After the revolution the building was taken care only by the gardener for a while, and in 1960, when the last member of the Vincens’ family left the house, the palace becomes the property of the Organ of the State Security (los Órganos de la Seguridad del Estado). In the period of 1960-1972 the building underwent major transformations by the State Security to enable its utilization.

In 1974 Fidel Castro declared in Havana to celebrate the third Sunday of July as the Day of Children, by mentioning about good news: “In Santiago they are going to deliver a beautiful palace to the pioneers today”. Meanwhile, the first palace of pioneers of this province and the whole country was inaugurated in this building with the name of Palacio de los Pioneros. As the last, the palace reopened its doors to public in 2007 after a renovation period of 1 year, resuming its activities.  The fundamental activity of the Palace of Pioneers is the vocational training of the primary and secondary school children by playing games in that they reach their skills. These activities can be summarized as gastronomy, electronics, computing, music, nursing, dancing, and Red Cross.

With an eclectic style typical of the period, the building reflects the economic power of its former owners. It was erected in the center of the block that it occupies and built on four levels. The house was richly furnished; some of this furniture are still preserved. The kitchen stands on the ground floor that was destined for domestic use of the servants. On the first floor you can see some majestic lamps that are still preserved, a pantry that can be accessed from the ground floor by a hand elevator and a billiard room. The stained-glass decoration at the entrance and the pavement are good preserved. The second floor consists of many rooms, used for various purposes today, such as video room, dance and ballet room, room reserved for Red Cross. The tower on the roof served as the chapel for the family.

In the beautiful garden, at both side of the building, various fruit plants, aviaries and dovecotes can be seen. An old, subsonic Russian MIG 15 fighter plane which was used in World War II by the Russians, decorates the garden. It was gifted to Cuba by the Russian President Nikita Khrushchev in 1974.