Lima is home to Peru’s great national collections. Two museums tell the story of the country from its first inhabitants to Independence: the new National Museum of Peru (MUNA), south of the city, and the historic museum of Pueblo Libre.
MUNA, the National Museum of Peru
The MUNA is a large modern museum built in Lurín, next to the archaeological sanctuary of Pachacamac. It was inaugurated in 2021, for the bicentennial of Peru’s Independence, and is gradually opening its galleries to present the country’s archaeological heritage, from the earliest cultures to the Incas. Its location makes it easy to combine with a visit to Pachacamac.
The National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History
In the quiet district of Pueblo Libre, this is the oldest public museum in Peru. It occupies a colonial country house where the liberators José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar lived during the wars of Independence. Its collections include famous pieces such as the Raimondi Stela of the Chavín culture, as well as ceramics, textiles and colonial and republican objects.
Visit the national museums
The museum in Pueblo Libre is only a few blocks from the Larco Museum, so both can be visited on the same day. The MUNA is a good complement to our Pachacamac Excursion or Pachacamac Private Tour.