Guest post by esteemed LatAm scholar: @GringoGuerrilla
As a good ser of fine culture and well-established reader of the illustrious “Nomada Newsletter” — aka the premier source of *real* culture in the Americas — you may have been curious about our lack of coverage on certain topics.
Like museums and arts.
As such, we have used the powers of autism and dug deep…
To bring you a list of the absolute dopest museums found throughout LatAm.
We is hope you enjoy, ser.
Top 23 Museums in Latin America
Enough of the fluff here, let’s dig in and check out the absolute coolest museums Latin America has to offer…
#1. National Museum of Anthropology – Mexico City, Mexico 🇲🇽
The largest and most-visited museum in Mexico.
It boasts a massive collection of archaeological and anthropological artifacts from Mexico's pre-Columbian history.
#2. São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) – São Paulo, Brazil 🇧🇷
A non-profit art museum that is internationally recognized for having the best collection of European art in Latin America.
It also has an impressive collection of Brazilian arts, prints and drawings.
#3. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes – Buenos Aires, Argentina 🇦🇷
Buenos Aires’ fine art museum has been around since 1895 and hosts an admirable collection of works by Goya, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and more.
Click here for more information.
#4. Museo Larco – Lima, Peru 🇵🇪
Lima’s Museo Larco hosts a large collection of pre-Columbian art, including ceramics, gold, and silver artifacts, as well as textiles from pre-Columbian cultures in Peru.
The museum is also home to a pre-Columbian erotic pottery collection.
#5. Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) – Bogota, Colombia 🇨🇴
Located in the historic center of Bogotá, this museum is all about gold and features an impressive collection of gold artifacts from Colombia's pre-Columbian and colonial times.
#6. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes – Santiago, Chile 🇨🇱
Established in 1880, this is the oldest fine art museum in South America.
It has a broad collection of both Chilean and international art that spans across many styles and periods.
#7. Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montana – Salta, Argentina 🇦🇷
A museum dedicated to the study of high-altitude archaeology, with a particular focus on the Inca culture.
You’ll find a comprehensive collection of artifacts from the Inca period here, including jewelry, textiles, tools and even mummies.
#8. Museu Imperial de Petrópolis – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 🇧🇷
Located in the historic center of Petrópolis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this museum was once the summer home of the Brazilian imperial family.
The museum showcases the history of the family, including the emperor’s throne, family portraits, furniture, personal items, and more.
#9. National Museum of Colombia – Bogota, Colombia 🇨🇴
This is Colombia’s oldest and largest museum. It’s dedicated to the history, art, and culture of Colombia.
#10. Templo Mayor – Mexico City, Mexico 🇲🇽
Templo Mayor was the main temple of the Mexica people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan — present day Mexico City.
The Temple was destroyed by the Spanish in 1521, but it was excavated in 1978 and became the Templo Mayor Museum. Here, visitors will learn about the temple and the history of the Mexica people.
#11. Popol Vuh Museum – Guatemala City, Guatemala 🇬🇹
This is the largest museum in Guatemala, and it’s dedicated to Mayan culture.
It houses a variety of Mayan artifacts and artwork and has several displays on Mayan history, archaeology, and culture.
#12. Soumaya Museum – Mexico City, Mexico 🇲🇽
The Soumaya Museum is a private, non-profit museum that has a large collection of works from around the world, as well as Mexican art, artifacts, relics, and historical documents.
#13. Museum of the Revolution – Havana, Cuba 🇨🇺
Dedicated to the Cuban Revolution, this museum offers audio/visual presentations about the revolution’s main events and displays other artifacts such as uniforms and photographs.
#14. Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion – Lima, Peru 🇵🇪
This museum covers the Peruvian internal conflict of the 1980s and 1990s, during which the Peruvian Government and ‘Shining Path’ Maoist guerillas were fighting.
The museum reveals the human rights violations that took place during the conflict by both the government and the guerillas.
#15. Instituto Ricardo Brennand – Recife, Brazil 🇧🇷
In addition to its museum, the Instituto Ricardo Brennand includes an art gallery, library, and a large park.
It has a diverse collection of historic and artistic objects and is recognized for having one of the world’s largest collections of armory.
#16. Ethnography and Folklore Museum (MUSEF) – La Paz, Bolivia 🇧🇴
La Paz’s Ethnography Museum explores Bolivian culture through a collection of textiles, hats, ceramics, pottery, masks, and other artifacts from the all over Bolivia.
#17. Museu de Armas da Lapa – Lapa, Brazil 🇧🇷
Lapa’s Arms Museum is dedicated to weapons and the history of warfare in this region of Brazil.
Here you’ll see a collection of old weapons and learn about how they were used.
#18. Panama Canal Museum – Panama City, Panama 🇵🇦
Here you’ll learn about the rich history of the Panama Canal and its impact on Panama as a nation.
This museum features several interactive displays and exhibits, as well as a screening room where you can view a documentary about the construction of the canal.
#19. National Museum of Ecuador – Quito, Ecuador 🇪🇨
This museum is dedicated to the history, culture, and arts of Ecuador.
The museum offers an array of exhibitions ranging from pre-Columbian relics, colonial artifacts, and local art from the 19th century.
#20. Museo Ortiz Gurdian – Leon, Nicaragua 🇳🇮
Museo Ortiz Gurdian houses a collection of European, Latin American, and local Nicaraguan art, and is considered to be one of the best contemporary art museums in Central America.
#21. La Plata Museum – La Plata, Argentina 🇦🇷
La Plata Museum holds a large collection of fossils, and specimens of animals, plants, and insects.
It’s best-known for possessing one of the largest collections of dinosaur fossils in the world.
#22. Pre-Columbian Gold Museum – San Jose, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
San Jose’s gold museum has a vast collection of gold objects, sculptures, and other artifacts from the region's pre-Columbian era.
Here you’ll also learn about the different cultures that inhabited Costa Rica prior to European contact.
#23. Biomuseo – Panama City, Panama 🇵🇦
Panama’s Bio Museum features many displays, interactive exhibits, and educational programs that outline Panama's impressive biodiversity.
Best Museums in Latin America 🌎
That tis’ but enough culture for today, good sers.
A fine gentleman, like yourself, can only handle so much culture in one day…before it is time to return to the life of a stunningly handsome vagabond dead-set on “conquistando’ing” these fine lands.
I bid you but a fine day, good ser.
To culture and shit!