Museums in Lima Peru

If you visit Lima, you will inevitably pass one of the many museums. And as befits the state capital, the range of these facilities is wide. There are the museums that deal with the country’s oldest past, those that have made exhibits from the colonial period their theme, various art museums, museums with a political theme, and still some curiosities. Some of the museums are large, others private. You can find them in the old city centre of Lima as well as in the periphery.

The Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú is one of the most important museums of Peru’s history. Ceramics of the Nazca, Paracas, Moche and Inkas, gold jewellery and statues, but also art from the colonial period and the republican era are gathered here. It is similar to the collection of the Banco Central de Reserva Museum, which also contains wonderful examples of Peruvian painting. More monothematic are the Amano, the museum for pre-Columbian textile art, and the Museo de los Colli, a small, privately run treasure in the Comas district.

Not all museums can always be assigned to a certain theme, they usually mix. This becomes visible in the Museo Oro del Perú y Armas del Mundo, where you will find a beautiful overview of Peru’s gold craft and weapons from all over the world. The Museo de la Inquisición y del Congreso, on the other hand, covers a more unpleasant part of the history – with the Spaniards also the Catholic Church came to Peru, and thus various torture methods, whose remnants are still to be seen.

Lima’s oldest art museum, the Museo de Arte de Lima, is one of the best places if you are interested in the fine arts. When you leave this architectural peculiarity, you will not only have seen the ceramics of pre-Columbian times, but also the school of Cuzco and the works of modern artists. In the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo you can see modern works of art and installations, in the Museo de Mario Testino contemporary photography and colonial architecture meet. These museums are joined by museums from private collections: the Museo de Arte Fernando Saldías Díaz and the Museo Pedro de Osma.

What would Lima be without the museums you might not expect? Are you a car fan? Visit the Museo de Automóvil; for aviation enthusiasts, the Aeronautical Museum in Rospogliosi Castle is a must (although the Castillo Rospigliosi has to be visited anyway for its architecture and furnishings…). In the Museo de la Electricidad you can learn about the history of electricity in Peru and try your hand at the interactive installations. Very interesting and suitable for a visit with children is the Museo de Historia Natural. And if you don’t have enough of the curiosities or just want to whet your appetite: Casa de la Gastronomía Peruana. There you will not only learn what the Incas ate and how many varieties of potatoes there are in Peru, you will also be able to taste the different typical specialities of the country!