Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

Ethnographic museum · Monserrat

Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

Ethnographic museum · Monserrat

1

Bandera 361, 8320298 Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile

Photos

Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by Photo by Wandering Trader
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art by null

Highlights

Housed in a stunning 1805 customs building, this museum showcases exquisite pre-Columbian ceramics, textiles, and sculptures from Latin America.  

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Bandera 361, 8320298 Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile Get directions

museo.precolombino.cl

Information

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Bandera 361, 8320298 Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile Get directions

+56 2 2928 1500
museo.precolombino.cl
museochilenodearteprecolombino
𝕏
@precolombinocl

Features

restroom
crowd lgbtq friendly
crowd trans safespace
wheelchair accessible entrance
wheelchair accessible restroom
crowd family friendly

Last updated

Aug 1, 2025

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@afar

"For Lovers of Art & History Just off the iconic Plaza de Armas, the main square, housed in the old customs building, is the Museum of Pre-Columbian art. The museum has a solid collection of Latin American art and history and an extensive collection of ceramics and pottery. The building itself is a historic monument and testament to the colonial area with sunny interior patios and lovely arcades. To bring the museum to life, sign up for a free guided tour with a docent to see the best works, including an impressive collection of Mapuche "chemamulles," wooden statues thought to be guardians. Bandera 361, corner Compañía de Jesús Phone: 56 (2) 2928 1500"

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View Postcard for Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

Regina Morais

Google
Definitely one of the best museums in Santiago. Here, you can truly feel the essence of Chile’s native peoples, especially the Mapuche. The collection includes very ancient and priceless artworks, all incredibly original. The exhibits are well divided and organized. On top of that, you can also see the impressive Chemamülles sculptures up close. Absolutely worth a visit! Some people might not give it five stars simply because they’re not enthusiasts of this kind of art. But for those who love culture, anthropology, or prehistoric art, it’s a rare opportunity to see works that date back as far as 2,000 years before Christ.

Roger Van Gramberg

Google
The entrance is expensive for a museum, CP12000 for an adult. Could do with more lighting as it is hard to read the labels for the displays. That said, it houses a great collection of artifects and in good condition.

Jennifer Smith

Google
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.

Jerónimo Sánchez

Google
Such lovely historic building and lovely piece of art that has been done by our ancestors ages ago. Rich in culture and historical facts about aboriginal communities

LS Sheldon

Google
Make this museum your first stop in Santiago. The presentation, description and choice of objects provide an amazing educational opportunity for visitors to learn about multiple indigenous groups. There are some truly extraordinary pieces in the collection. A must see is the special textile room. While you may have to wait line to enter, because only 10 people are allowed at a time, it is well worth the wait. The price of admission is more than reasonable. The café on the first floor by the reception desk is excellent.

Sarah

Google
Beautiful pieces but not a huge museum. The information next to the items have English translation but it’s all in very small type and with dim lighting—extremely difficult to read unless you have excellent vision. An audio option or something would be more inclusive for anyone with less than 20-20.

Steve Goodfriend

Google
I loved the way the art was organized by geography and time period so I could easily compare different civilizations, their customs and values. This is my new favorite museum in the world.

Benjamin Caceres

Google
Great experience. It was our first time visiting the museum. There wasn’t a clear path on where to go we had to ask many times. But overall great experience and is not expensive. Totally recommended!
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Marilu F.

Yelp
Often recommended as a pit stop while in Chile, we stopped by this museum and found at least one floor of it closed. Not to mention, too, that the gift shop was closed. Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience, because although artifacts were limited, the ones presented proved to be well preserved and depicting a time in history not often discussed. At this museum, you will find pieces from before the Precolombino times, and these, of course, include things from the Inka and things pertaining to Easter Island. It's a nice little pit stop, but please don't expect to make a day out of it. I think we were there over an hour tops.
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Leo Y.

Yelp
It's truly amazing how advanced and impressive the Latin American civilization was before the arrival of Europeans decimated it. The ceramics, metallurgy, art, and society were at times more advanced than the Europeans who attacked them. The museum was well laid out, with information in Spanish, and then a brief summary in English. I translated some of the Spanish descriptions using Google Translate when I wanted more details than the English summary provided. It's easy to spend a few hours here if reading everything. A great collection from across south and central America.
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Steve A.

Yelp
This was my favorite part of my Chilean trip. So glad I was able to make time to go. They have three floors of exhibits. One was closed when I arrived but they only charged $5.000 (right now about $6) instead of the usual $8.000, which is unusual for museums. You will see things you can't see anywhere else. There aren't all THAT many artifacts but when you see how well preserved they are and think about how much has been lost or destroyed, it's so great to see this all in one place and I absolutely want them to have my money (and yours) to keep these and more preserved!
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Des S.

Yelp
What a beautifully curated museum! It's beautiful art and displays make it a delight! The cafe is really nice too! Generous portions and fresh food.
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George E.

Yelp
Only two floors but a top notch museum with fantastic, well thought out displays. The entry level has an interior courtyard cafe serving lunch and a museum store with a bit more than your average souvenir offerings. Besides pre-columbian replica pottery and vessels, they offer textiles, books and contemporary wares by Chilean artists.
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Alex D.

Yelp
The well-endowed collection of artifacts of the region's indigenous peoples, much of it donated by the collector Sergio Larraín García-Moreno, is displayed in the beautifully restored Royal Customs House that dates from 1807. The permanent collection, on the upper floor, showcases ceramics and textiles from Mexico to Patagonia. Unlike many of the city's museums, the displays here are well labeled in Spanish and English. Guided tours in English are available at no extra cost, but booking in advance is required. Located in Bandera Street 361 (Plaza de Armas Subway, Green Line); Opening from Tuestady through Sunday - 10 AM to 6 PM.