Museums in Peru
22 museums in Peru.
Top museums in Peru
Casa Museo José Carlos Mariátegui
Historic house, palace or castle
The rooms where the Peruvian writer José Carlos Mariátegui spent the last five years of his life form the Casa Museo José Carlos Mariátegui. He moved into the house in 1925, and the museum presents...
Gold Museum of Peru and Weapons of the World
Peruvian archaeology and weapons from around the world share one roof here, a pairing reflected in the museum's full name, Museo Oro del Perú y Armas del Mundo. Most people know it simply as the Gold...
Larco Museum
Archaeology museum
A gallery of pre-Columbian erotic pottery is what the Larco Museum is best known for. Signs give its official name, Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. This privately owned museum of...
Lima Art Museum
Art museum
Almost 3,000 years of art, from the pre-Columbian era to the contemporary period, fill the Lima Art Museum, known locally as the Museo de Arte de Lima or MALI. The collection is housed in the Palacio...
MATE - Museo Mario Testino
Art museum
Founded in 2012 by the Peruvian fashion photographer Mario Testino, the Mario Testino Museum, known as MATE (pronounced MAH-teh) and signed as Museo Mario Testino, is built around a permanent...
Metropolitan Museum of Lima
Holograms, staged scenery and video projections tell the linked histories of Lima and Peru at the Metropolitan Museum of Lima (Museo Metropolitano de Lima). The story is narrated by the figures who...
Museo de la Inquisición y del Congreso
The former headquarters of the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Lima now houses a museum devoted to two institutions: the Tribunal itself and the Congress of Peru. The Museum of...
Museo del Banco Central de Reserva del Perú
Archaeology, numismatics (the study and collecting of coins and currency) and art share one roof in this museum run by the Central Reserve Bank of Peru. Signs may show its Spanish name, Museo del...
Museo Electoral y de La Democracia
Housed within the headquarters of the National Jury of Elections (JNE), the Museum of Elections and Democracy (Museo Electoral y de la Democracia) is devoted to the electoral history of Peru in the...
Museum of Italian Art
Art museum
As the only museum in Lima devoted to European art, the Museum of Italian Art (Museo de Arte Italiano) holds an unusual place among the city's collections. It has been open since 1923, and Wikidata...
Museum of Natural History, Lima
Natural history museum
Peru's most important museum of natural history, the Museo de Historia Natural belongs to the National University of San Marcos in Lima. It was established in 1918 and is named after Javier Prado.
Museum of the Nation
The Museum of the Nation (Museo de la Nación) occupies a brutalist building in Lima's San Borja District that was originally built as a government complex. It opened as a public art and history...
National Afro-Peruvian Museum
The history of African descendants in Peru is the focus of the National Afro-Peruvian Museum, which acquires, preserves and exhibits objects connected to that history. It occupies the House of the...
National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru
Archaeology museum
Peru's largest and oldest museum, the Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú (MNAAHP) was founded in 1822. It occupies the Palacio de la Magdalena on the main square of...
Website of National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru
Parque de las Leyendas
Zoo or aquarium
Lima's most visited and most influential zoo, the Park of Legends (Parque de las Leyendas) combines animal exhibits with archaeological museums, a botanical garden, and areas for recreation and...
Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion
Peru's internal conflict of the 1980s and 1990s is the subject of the Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion, known in Spanish as Lugar de la Memoria, la Tolerancia y la Inclusión Social, or...
Museums by city in Peru
Peru’s museum landscape is closely tied to the country’s deep archaeological heritage. In Lima, visitors can move from pre-Columbian collections at the Larco Museum to national art and history displays at the Lima Art Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Lima. On Mooseum, these museums become easier to compare and explore, whether you are planning a focused day in the capital or building a wider cultural itinerary.
Beyond Lima, museums across Peru help explain the regional histories behind the country’s best-known archaeological sites. Northern collections such as the Brüning Museum in Lambayeque offer important context on Moche, Sicán, and Chimú cultures, while house museums like Casa Museo José Carlos Mariátegui connect visitors with Peru’s intellectual and political history. Mooseum helps travelers discover these different museum experiences in one place, from ancient goldwork to modern photography and contemporary art.
Peru also offers a strong mix of specialized museums and newer cultural spaces. Visitors interested in contemporary practice can explore MAC Lima or MATE - Museo Mario Testino, while those drawn to military history and precious metalwork often include the Gold Museum of Peru and Weapons of the World. This variety makes Peru especially rewarding for museum-goers who want both archaeological depth and a sense of the country’s ongoing artistic life.
Map of museums in Peru
Museums in Peru: questions
- How many museums are there in Peru?
- Mooseum lists 22 museums in Peru. Lima has the most, with 18.
- What kinds of museums are in Peru?
- Of the 13 whose type we know, the most common are art museums (5), archaeology museums (4), historic houses, palaces and castles (1) and military museums (1).
- Pre-Columbian collections are a major draw, especially ceramics, textiles, funerary objects, and goldwork from cultures such as Moche, Nazca, Chimú, and Inca
- Lima concentrates many of the country’s best-known museums, including archaeology, fine art, photography, and contemporary art spaces
- Regional museums in places like Lambayeque provide essential background for nearby archaeological zones and northern coastal civilizations
- House museums and historical museums add insight into Peru’s literary, political, and urban history beyond ancient collections
- Many museums in Peru balance Spanish and English interpretation, though smaller regional sites may offer more limited signage
- Museum hours in Peru often vary by day, and some sites close on Mondays, so check schedules on Mooseum or the museum’s official page before visiting
- In Lima, combine museum visits by district: Pueblo Libre for the Larco Museum, Barranco for MAC Lima and MATE, and central Lima for history-focused museums
- Carry some cash for smaller museums or local transport, although larger institutions in Lima usually accept cards
- If you are visiting during the coastal summer months from December to March, allow extra travel time in Lima due to heavier traffic between districts
All museums in Peru
Every museum in Peru listed on Mooseum. Search by name or type.
| Name | Type | Website | Links | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Archaeology museum | www.naylamp.gob.pe/mnbPage.html |  | — | |
Casa Museo José Carlos MariáteguiThe rooms where the Peruvian writer José Carlos Mariátegui spent the last five years of his life form the Casa Museo José Carlos Mariátegui. He moved into the house in 1925, and the museum presents... | Historic house, palace or castle | mariategui.cultura.pe | | — |
Gold Museum of Peru and Weapons of the WorldPeruvian archaeology and weapons from around the world share one roof here, a pairing reflected in the museum's full name, Museo Oro del Perú y Armas del Mundo. Most people know it simply as the Gold... | — | www.museoroperu.com.pe | | — |
Larco MuseumA gallery of pre-Columbian erotic pottery is what the Larco Museum is best known for. Signs give its official name, Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. This privately owned museum of... | Archaeology museum | www.museolarco.org | | — |
Lima Art MuseumAlmost 3,000 years of art, from the pre-Columbian era to the contemporary period, fill the Lima Art Museum, known locally as the Museo de Arte de Lima or MALI. The collection is housed in the Palacio... | Art museum | www.mali.pe | | — |
Art museum | www.maclima.pe | | — | |
MATE - Museo Mario TestinoFounded in 2012 by the Peruvian fashion photographer Mario Testino, the Mario Testino Museum, known as MATE (pronounced MAH-teh) and signed as Museo Mario Testino, is built around a permanent... | Art museum | www.mate.pe | | — |
Metropolitan Museum of LimaHolograms, staged scenery and video projections tell the linked histories of Lima and Peru at the Metropolitan Museum of Lima (Museo Metropolitano de Lima). The story is narrated by the figures who... | — | www.munlima.gob.pe/museo-metropolitano-de-lima | | — |
Art museum | mapcusco.pe | | — | |
Museo de la Inquisición y del CongresoThe former headquarters of the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Lima now houses a museum devoted to two institutions: the Tribunal itself and the Congress of Peru. The Museum of... | — | www.congreso.gob.pe/participacion/museo | | — |
Museo del Banco Central de Reserva del PerúArchaeology, numismatics (the study and collecting of coins and currency) and art share one roof in this museum run by the Central Reserve Bank of Peru. Signs may show its Spanish name, Museo del... | — | www.bcrp.gob.pe/museocentral | | — |
Museo Electoral y de La DemocraciaHoused within the headquarters of the National Jury of Elections (JNE), the Museum of Elections and Democracy (Museo Electoral y de la Democracia) is devoted to the electoral history of Peru in the... | — | museoelectoral.jne.gob.pe | | — |
Military museum | www.marina.mil.pe/es/cultura/museos/casa-grau-lima | | — | |
— | www.ucsm.edu.pe/museo-santuarios-andinos | | — | |
Museum of Italian ArtAs the only museum in Lima devoted to European art, the Museum of Italian Art (Museo de Arte Italiano) holds an unusual place among the city's collections. It has been open since 1923, and Wikidata... | Art museum | museos.cultura.pe/museos/museo-de-arte-italiano | | — |
Museum of Natural History, LimaPeru's most important museum of natural history, the Museo de Historia Natural belongs to the National University of San Marcos in Lima. It was established in 1918 and is named after Javier Prado. | Natural history museum | museohn.unmsm.edu.pe | | — |
Museum of the NationThe Museum of the Nation (Museo de la Nación) occupies a brutalist building in Lima's San Borja District that was originally built as a government complex. It opened as a public art and history... | — | www.mcultura.gob.pe/arte-y-cultura-museos-museos-del-ministerio-de-cultura | | — |
National Afro-Peruvian MuseumThe history of African descendants in Peru is the focus of the National Afro-Peruvian Museum, which acquires, preserves and exhibits objects connected to that history. It occupies the House of the... | — | web.archive.org/web/20140214113258/http://museoafroperuano.pe:80 | | — |
National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of PeruPeru's largest and oldest museum, the Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú (MNAAHP) was founded in 1822. It occupies the Palacio de la Magdalena on the main square of... | Archaeology museum | mnaahp.cultura.pe | | — |
Archaeology museum | muna.cultura.pe | | — | |
Parque de las LeyendasLima's most visited and most influential zoo, the Park of Legends (Parque de las Leyendas) combines animal exhibits with archaeological museums, a botanical garden, and areas for recreation and... | Zoo or aquarium | leyendas.gob.pe | | — |
Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social InclusionPeru's internal conflict of the 1980s and 1990s is the subject of the Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion, known in Spanish as Lugar de la Memoria, la Tolerancia y la Inclusión Social, or... | — | lum.cultura.pe | | — |