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Best History Museums in Santiago

By: Cityseeker
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11307


Colonial Museum

With the sole purpose of honoring the artists that create beautiful Andean Colonial Art, the Colonial Museum is one of the finest museums that can showcase these in a blissful manner. The walls, corridors and the lush gardens are full of artworks and depicts the history, the culture and the religious side of the people in Santiago. You shall find here sculptures, artifacts, paintings, etc that depicts the colonial period of the region. One of the main attractions include a genealogical tree that includes 644 mini portraits of the Franciscan Order.

834 Avenue Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins, Región Metropolitana, Santiago, Chile, 8330082
Museo Histórico Nacional (Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago)

This aesthetic-looking building was constructed between 1804 and 1807 by José Goycolea, a student of prominent architect Joaquín Toesca, and was originally intended as a palace for the Real Audiencia (a sort of local admin office of the Spanish Crown). However, this was short lived, and not long after the first Government assembly was held here, initiating Chile's independence from Spain. This was also the site of the first sittings held by the National Congress, and the great liberator himself, General Bernard O'Higgins, had an office in the building. Although over the course of time numerous alterations have been made to the structure, the original façade is still in place in what is now considered a national monument. Home to the National Historical Museum since 1911, it houses a collection related to different periods and famous personalities in the history of Chile, from pre-Colombian times right up to the 1970s. There is also a section dedicated to numismatics (money, coins and medals). Admission is free on Sundays.

Plaza de Armas 951, Santiago, Chile, 8320096
Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

This informative museum was installed in the Real Aduana building, which was built in 1805 and 1807. Now it hosts important traveling exhibitions that bring in a large number of visitors. Permanent exhibits include valuable ceramics, paintings, sculptures and significant pre-Columbian textiles, from Mexico to Chile. Guided tours are available on request.

361 Bandera, Santiago, Chile, 8320298
La Moneda Palace

A stately-looking building, the Palacio de La Moneda represents the official seat of the Chilean government. Dating back to 1805 and credited to Joaquin Toesca y Ricci, it was originally the National Mint, hence its name: the Coin Palace. The architecture of the sprawling building is distinctly reminiscent of the neoclassical style, with spires adorning the balconies and gilded windows embedded into the schematics. From 1845 onward, it was transformed into the presidential residence and government headquarters. After its destruction on September 11, 1973, the palace had to be extensively rebuilt and refurbished during the first years of the military dictatorship. Following one of the first decrees of the present Head of State, President Ricardo Lagos Escobar, the courtyards of the palace were once more opened up to public access. The measure has been warmly received by the local populace, who pass through the building, and toss coins into the ornate fountain in the Orange Grove Patio.

Moneda, Centro, Santiago, Chile, 8320000
Museo Nacional de Historia Natural

The French naturalist Claudio Gay founded this important museum in 1830. The architect Raúl Lathoud constructed the building in 1875 and today it is a National Monument. It is one of the oldest museums in Latin America and one of the most important of the world with the valuable collections it possesses. In these collections you'll find a striking Inca mummy of a child found frozen on Plomo mountain, still in perfect condition today. The museum also has an entomology collection as well as a geographical, anthropological and archeological collection. Admission is CLP600 for adults and CLP300 for students. Free admission on Sundays.

Avenida Portales, Quinta Normal, Santiago, Chile, 9170023
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