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Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino: Study Ancient American Artistic Legacy In Santiago's Heart
4.4
113 Ratings
Santiago
This gallery is a trailblazer in Latin America for the preservation, propagation, and research of the art heritage of America’s pre-Columbian communities. It boasts a large array of art from ancient societies like the Incas and Diaguitas, to name a few. Situated in the central part of Santiago, it’s merely a block away from Plaza de Armas.
This gallery is a trailblazer in Latin America for the preservation, propagation, and research of the art heritage of America’s pre-Columbian communities. It boasts a large array of art from ancient societies like the Incas and Diaguitas, to name a few. Situated in the central part of Santiago, it’s merely a block away from Plaza de Armas.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino - Nestled within one of Santiago’s most notable colonial edifices, this museum occupies a structure erected in 1805, showcasing neoclassical architecture. Initially, it served as the Royal Customs House for the colonial administration.
Permanent Exhibition: Chile before Chile
Human presence in the region now known…
- Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino - Nestled within one of Santiago’s most notable colonial edifices, this museum occupies a structure erected in 1805, showcasing neoclassical architecture. Initially, it served as the Royal Customs House for the colonial administration.
Permanent Exhibition: Chile before Chile
Human presence in the region now known as Chile dates back over 14,000 years. Throughout this time, a variety of cultures have made their home in this land of contrasting landscapes. Our exhibition extends an invitation to discover the early settlers and their modern-day descendants, the indigenous peoples of Chile, who contribute to our national identity through their genetic lineage, cultural artistry, and storied past.
What's Included
- Admission to museum
- Admission to museum
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Food and drinks
- Transportation to/from attractions
Additional Information
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Chilean nationals, foreign residents in Chile and students can buy discounted tickets directly at the Museum’s entrance by showing an ID
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Chilean nationals, foreign residents in Chile and students can buy discounted tickets directly at the Museum’s entrance by showing an ID
Location
Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
Bandera 361, Esquina Compañía
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.4
(113 Ratings)
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Lydia_p
Oct 12, 2025
An Easy Family Stop in the City - I couldn’t get the app to work to access our tickets and the woman at the desk checked us in and had our reservation printed. What a blessing! It was a smaller museum than I was envisioning, but it was packed with beautiful and intricate pieces of art. We enjoyed the Spanish and English explanations of the items. Everything was placed well and the flow was so nice to walk through. There is also a Cafe ☕️ and a cute gift shop. A man was singing opera in the hallway outside when we left.
Review provided by Viator
Viniciuspmenezes
Sep 26, 2025
Don't stop going - Visiting the Chilean Museum of Precolombian Art was an amazing experience! The collection is rich, with pieces that tell the history and culture of the peoples originating in the Americas in an exciting and well organized way. The curation is impeccable, each room conveys knowledge and beauty, in addition to providing a true journey in time.
The structure of the museum is modern and accessible, with well-lit spaces and clear explanations in several languages. It is a place that unites culture, art and history in an inspiring way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Manningjen
Jul 16, 2025
Beautiful museum! - Very lucky to attend an after-hours conference reception here— and also had lunch here (an excellent salmon salad) earlier in the week. Unlike many other museums in Chile, there are some labels in English as well as Spanish.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Experience408834
Jun 28, 2025
A must visit destination - The most important museum in Santiago. Do not miss. The history and artwork are beautiful and fascinating. Do not miss. The variety and depth of the exhibitions are amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightseer16967031714
Mar 20, 2025
Exciting experience - Beautiful museum, worth a visit, very interesting both for the exhibits and for the skilful and elegant renovation of the architect Smiljan Radic
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Colette_s
Mar 2, 2025
Very nice museum. I ended... - Very nice museum. I ended up buying my ticket there because we went on a different date than the day I purchased on Viator.
Review provided by Viator
Genibre69
Jan 25, 2025
A wonderful place to learn about pre-Colombian art and history - I loved this place and spent a couple of hours here. Incredible artifacts and history information provided, with translations in English as well. Although the entrance price is expensive at slightly less than £10, it’s so worth it. Photos allowed and I took a million. Not crowded.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ryc88
Jan 22, 2025
Intriguing museum - Very interesting museum with a lot of really cool artifacts. The way they are displayed in the subterranean space beneath the museum is quite effective. There was a lot of excellent information regarding the culture and history of the area. Worth a visit to see the variety and quality of the artwork.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Liviapgouvea
Aug 22, 2025
Little attractive - The museum is very well organized, clean, modern. However, I expected more for the amount charged at the entrance.
Zero interactive, it's very repetitive. Maybe for those who understand the subject deeply, be more attractive. The rooms all look the same, although the collection is huge.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jacob
Feb 23, 2025
Not a well-focused museum - I went in with high expectations to see examples of Chilean art and culture. The museum is in a great building (although AC would be nice), but the collection on display is across all of South America and not focused on Chile. Some of the Chilean exhibits were closed, but many cultures, notably all the Patagonian ones) are explicitly not featured. We saw lots of Mexican, Peruvian, Ecuadorean, even Caribbean cultures, but not much Chilean. It was all good, but I had hoped. I feel like they also miss out on sales by not having non-Spanish guidebooks or a particularly inspiring museum shop. The cafe is good and friendly. I’ll tepidly recommend and tell people to go in with limited expectations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor