Articles of Interest

Lima's Museums

Lima has a wide range of excellent museums.  These are a few that we recommend visiting to get an overview of the Peruvian culture.  Note that a couple of them require calling ahead for appointments.

Museo De Oro del Perú y Armas del Mundo

Av. La Molina 1100, Surco.  Phone: 435 0791.  Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m..  Admission: S/.30

This museum houses an impressive collection of pre-Hispanic gold, Paracas textiles, and ceramics.  There was some controversy a few years ago when it was discovered that not all gold pieces on display were the originals and the museum got bad publicity and visitors declined, but most believe that the situation has been amended and only originals are on display now.  The wealth exhibited in this museum is not only an indication of how easily available precious metals and stones were at the time they were made, but is also proof of the technological advancement of the pre-Incan civilizations of the Chimu, Mochica and Vicus cultures.  Beautiful gold tumis, a sacrificial ceremonial knife (and the national symbol of Peru), are exhibited here and have been previously exhibited around the world.

Museo Rafael Larco Herrera

Av. Bolivar 1515, Pueblo Libre.  Phone: 461-1312.  Hours: Monday-Sunday 09:00 – 18:00, including holidays.

Founded in 1926 by Peruvian archaeologist Rafael Larco Hoyle, the Larco Museum showcases impressive chronological galleries, providing an excellent overview on 3,000 years of development of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. 

Located in a unique vice-royal mansion of the 18th century built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid, it is surrounded by beautiful gardens.   This museum features a fine collection of gold and silver from Ancient Peru and the famous erotic archaeological collection.  If you haven’t seen enough, in this museum you can also choose to visit the storage area, with its 45,000 classified objects.

The museum’s restaurant, Café del Museo, which is located in the garden, is led by the ubiquitous and prestigious Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio.

Museo de la Nación (National Museum) 

Av. Javier Prado Este 2465, San Borja.  Phone: 476-9878.  Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00.  Admission: S/. 6 adults, S/. 3 seniors, S/.1 students

The Museo de la Nación, Lima’s largest, traces the evolution of Peru’s numerous pre-Incan cultures and their achievements in ceramics, textiles and architecture.  The exhibits are chronological and cover the period until just before the Spanish colonization.  We highly recommend a visit to this museum as an introduction to history of old Peru or as a wrap up summary at the end of your trip.  Allow at least 2 hours for your visit.

Fundación Museo Amano

Retiro Street No. 160, Miraflores.  Phone: 441-2909.  Hours: Mon-Fri 3-5pm by appointment only.  Guided tour in Spanish

This unique private collection belonging to Mr. Yoshirato Amano, holds one of the best selections of textiles and ceramics in Lima.  The selection is from the Nazca, Chimu and Chancay, among other pre-Incan cultures.  Call ahead to book an appointment for a tour.

Museo de Arte Colonial Pedro de Osma

Pedro de Osma 421, Barranco  Phone: 467-0141.  Hours: Tues-Sun 10am-1:30pm and 2:30-6pm. By appointment only.  Admission: S/.10 (adults), S/.6 (students) 

This private collection housed in the Palacio de Osma, a mansion in the Barranco neighbourhood, focuses on colonial-era art from the Cusco, Arequipa and Ayacucho schools of art, the most prestigious at the time.  Call ahead to make an appointment for admission.

Museo de Arte

Paseo Colon Street No. 125, Lima.  Phone: 423-4732.  Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00.  Admission: S/. 6, Wednesdays free, Sunday S/. 3 http://museoarte.perucultural.org.pe/

The Museo de Arte de Lima was designed by Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame) and built in 1872.  It exhibits collections of Peruvian art including ceramics, silver and textile objects from pre-Columbian era starting in 900 A.C.  The museum traces art through the present day with some rooms dedicated to contemporary art and photography.  Notable is the collection of paintings from the Cusco School during the colonial period.

Museo Nacional de Arqueologia, Antropologia e Historia del Peru

Plaza Bolivar, Lima.  Phone: 463-5070.  Hours: Daily 9-5, closed Monday.  Admission: S/.10

This museum provides an overview of the history of the region, prior to the arrival of the Spaniards.  It holds one of the largest collections of pre-hispanic art and relics in the world. Some highlights include well-preserved mummies from the Nazca culture and the Estela de Raimondi, a 11.98 m tall, carved stone that belonged to the Chavin culture, one of the major pre-Inca cultures from 1200 AC to 200 AC. 

Convento y Museo de San Francisco

Located two blocks from the Plaza Mayor and the Cathedral in downtown Lima.  Hours: 10:00 – 5:45pm daily.  Admission: S/.5

San Francisco is a seventeenth century church and convent located in downtown Lima.  Gorgeous courtyards, detailed colonial woodwork, tiles and paintings adorn the inside of the convent.  Here you can also visit the convent’s catacombs, a burial ground for priests and others used before the main cemetery was built.  75,000 bodies lie in these catacombs and are neatly lined so you can see femurs and skulls as you walk by.  Part of the convent is now a museum and it houses a collection of colonial and republican era paintings as well as religious art.  The mandatory guided tour takes you past the cloisters to the museum of religious art and a descent into the catacombs.  You may have to wait a little longer to get an English-speaking guide but it’s not a large museum.  Make sure you also visit the church itself, which features a stunning carved altar.  This convent was declared Cultural World Heritage site.