# National Museum of Peru

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National museum in Lima, Peru

National Museum of Peru (MUNA) Museo Nacional del Perú (MUNA) Main façade of the museum. Location Lurín District, Lima, Peru Type National museum Collection size 500,000 Owner Government of Peru Website museos.cultura.pe/museos/museo-nacional-del-perú-muna

The **National Museum of Peru** is a [national museum](/source/National_museum) in [Lurín District](/source/Lur%C3%ADn_District), [Lima, Peru](/source/Lima%2C_Peru), located within the archaeological zone of [Pachacamac](/source/Pachacamac). The museum will hold over a half million artifacts of the [Pre-Columbian era](/source/Pre-Columbian_era) and [Inca Empire](/source/Inca_Empire), ranging back to 5,000 BCE.[1] It opened in July 2021 as part of Peru's bicentennial celebrations and is capable of accepting 15,000 guests per day.[2][3]

## History

### Planning and construction

The design of the museum promotes accessibility through ramps.

Ideas for a [national museum](/source/National_museum) were first proposed by [José de San Martín](/source/Jos%C3%A9_de_San_Mart%C3%ADn) in 1822 when he proposed a national museum, library and archive to be constructed during the [Peruvian War of Independence](/source/Peruvian_War_of_Independence).[4] The idea was promoted again nearly two centuries later by Minister of Culture Diana Álvarez Calderón during the administration of President [Ollanta Humala](/source/Ollanta_Humala) in 2013.[5] Humala had initial plans for a museum in [Peruvian Amazonia](/source/Peruvian_Amazonia), though Álvarez Calderón urged him to dedicate a national museum to Peru first, with ideas of creating a National Museum of Peru.[5]

In May 2014, bidding for the project's design was announced.[6] The location was debated as the museum's site was not located in central Lima, instead being placed in the [Pachacamac](/source/Pachacamac) archaeological zone, a location that was sacred for pre-Colombian cultures.[7] The proposed site led to controversy, with some intellectuals and officials excluding themselves from the project.[7] Supporters said that the location provided the most publicly-owned space available for a museum and approved the symbolism of the Pachacamac site continuing to be a location bringing cultures together.[7]

Architect Alexia León Ángel won the competition[2] and described the design as an [infrastructure](/source/Infrastructure) project, providing an open canvas blueprint that would bridge the various cultural artifacts from Peru's history, stating "the architecture recognises that culture is in the process of ongoing construction".[7] The plan involved filling the new museum with pieces from the [Museo de la Nación](/source/Museo_de_la_Naci%C3%B3n) – the former Ministry of Fisheries headquarters from 1970 – and the [National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Peru](/source/National_Museum_of_Archaeology%2C_Anthropology_and_History_of_Peru), which was outdated and did not have proper equipment to maintain the temperature and lighting of displays.[8] The process for safely transferring the items from other sites to the museum was anticipated to take about twenty years.[9] Another area for more contemporary objects was also planned to fill the 70,000 square metres (750,000 ft2) of space.[8] By late-2017, planned areas for recreation and administration were removed to lower costs, with the seven-story museum's area being set at 65,000 square metres (700,000 ft2).[4][10]

Describing the museum's preservation design, *[Architectural Review](/source/Architectural_Review)* wrote:[7]

This project is an open network, future-proofed structurally, programatically and technically. The design separates the different lives of its systems, considering the unstable climatic future. The structure is designed to last a minimum of 500 years that could well be 2000, (a short time in relation to the pre-Colombian objects it aims to protect) and is spatially independent from the mechanical installations which are thought to last 30-50 years and adapt to the changing conditions and technology. It is a tsunami-proofed response that critically addresses the responsibilities of a new building.

About 70% of MUNA is located under the ground level.[7] A cement structure designed to have a cross-like appearance of [chakana](/source/Chakana) from above, a central [atrium](/source/Atrium_(architecture)) features surrounding ramps that spiral up to floors that feature exhibits on the periphery.[7] The construction cost of the museum was about 500 million [Peruvian soles](/source/Peruvian_sol), or about $125 million USD, the equivalent of $145 million in 2024.[4][11]

### Operation

During the government of [Francisco Sagasti](/source/Francisco_Sagasti), the Ministry of Culture announced in November 2020 that the museum was destined to open in July 2021 for the celebration of Peru's two-hundredth anniversary of independence.[12] In late July 2021, MUNA opened to the public with a limited display in four galleries.[4] One gallery featured information about the museum's background and construction while another highlighted how Peru's antiquities and culture were exploited by illicit trade.[4]

#### Suspension of operations

In 2021, MUNA was expected to be fully operational by 2024.[4] By 2023, the *[Architectural Review](/source/Architectural_Review)* reported that the [COVID-19 pandemic in Peru](/source/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Peru) and a [political crisis](/source/Peruvian_political_crisis_(2016%E2%80%93present)) that saw revolving presidencies and culture ministers resulted with institutional abandonment of the museum and exhibits still remaining empty in MUNA.[7] Infrastructure challenges including poor road access, ceiling leaks, the lack of a [groundwater](/source/Groundwater) pumping system and a malfunctioning [climate control](/source/Climate_control) system also proved to make operation of MUNA difficult.[11]

On 14 December 2024, the Ministry of Culture announced the suspension of operations of MUNA.[11]

## See also

- [Pachacamac](/source/Pachacamac)

- [Southern Cone of Lima](/source/Cono_Sur_(Lima))

- [National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Peru](/source/National_Museum_of_Archaeology%2C_Anthropology_and_History_of_Peru)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Museo Nacional de Arqueología del Perú se culminará a mediados del 2019 | LIMA"](https://elcomercio.pe/lima/obras/museo-nacional-arqueologia-peru-culminara-mediados-2019-noticia-592303-noticia/). *[El Comercio](/source/El_Comercio_(Peru))* (in Spanish). 2018-12-28. Retrieved 2020-11-24.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_2-1) ["Presentan proyecto ganador de concurso de ideas para futuro Museo Nacional"](https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-presentan-proyecto-ganador-concurso-ideas-para-futuro-museo-nacional-516008.aspx). *[Andina](/source/Andina_(news_agency))* (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-11-24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Presidente Vizcarra anuncia compromiso del gobierno de entregar nuevo Museo Nacional del Perú"](https://www.gob.pe/institucion/cultura/noticias/49207-presidente-vizcarra-anuncia-compromiso-del-gobierno-de-entregar-nuevo-museo-nacional-del-peru). *www.gob.pe* (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-11-24.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ARTnews_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ARTnews_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ARTnews_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-ARTnews_4-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-ARTnews_4-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-ARTnews_4-5) Angeleti, Gabriella (13 September 2021). ["Peru's heritage gets a new $125m home"](https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/09/13/perus-heritage-gets-a-new-dollar125m-home). *[The Art Newspaper](/source/The_Art_Newspaper)*. Retrieved 29 September 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-EC1_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-EC1_5-1) ["Diana Álvarez Calderón: entre ruinas y cultura viva | LUCES"](https://elcomercio.pe/luces/arte/diana-alvarez-calderon-entre-ruinas-cultura-viva-noticia-1676698/?ref=ecr). *[El Comercio](/source/El_Comercio_(Peru))* (in Spanish). 22 December 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Abrirán convocatoria para diseñar el Museo Nacional del Perú»"](http://elcomercio.pe/lima/patrimonio/lanzaran-convocatoria-disenar-museo-nacional-peru-noticia-1732882). *[El Comercio](/source/El_Comercio_(Peru))*. 29 May 2014.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:2_7-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:2_7-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:2_7-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:2_7-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:2_7-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-:2_7-7) Poppe, Macarena (2023-06-05). ["The empty museum: Museo Nacional del Perú in Lima, Peru by Leon Marcial Arquitectos"](https://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/the-empty-museum-museo-nacional-del-peru-in-lima-peru-by-leon-marcial-arquitectos). *[The Architectural Review](/source/The_Architectural_Review)*. Retrieved 2026-03-26.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_8-1) ["Museo Nacional del Perú ya cuenta con diseño arquitectónico"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141214155739/http://www.larepublica.pe/24-07-2014/museo-nacional-del-peru-ya-cuenta-con-diseno-arquitectonico). *La Republica*. 24 July 2014. Archived from [the original](http://www.larepublica.pe/24-07-2014/museo-nacional-del-peru-ya-cuenta-con-diseno-arquitectonico) on 2014-12-14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["MUNA, un museo emblema para celebrar el bicentenario | FOTOS | LUCES"](https://elcomercio.pe/luces/arte/museo-nacional-arqueologia-antropologia-e-historia-asegurar-nuestro-pasado-ecpm-noticia-676843-noticia/). *[El Comercio](/source/El_Comercio_(Peru))* (in Spanish). 2019-09-18. Retrieved 2020-11-24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Lurín: construcción del Museo Nacional del Perú registra un 22% de avance | LIMA"](https://elcomercio.pe/lima/obras/construccion-museo-nacional-peru-registra-22-avance-noticia-449094-noticia/). *[El Comercio](/source/El_Comercio_(Peru))* (in Spanish). 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2020-11-24.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_11-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:3_11-2) Grimaldi, Luis (2026-03-07). ["El museo más grande del Perú lleva más de un año cerrado, pese a inversión de S/ 500 millones"](https://larepublica.pe/sociedad/2026/03/02/el-museo-mas-grande-del-peru-lleva-mas-de-un-ano-cerrado-pese-a-inversion-de-s-500-millones-atmp-164940). *[La República](/source/La_Rep%C3%BAblica)* (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-03-26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Lurín: Museo Nacional del Perú será inaugurado en julio del 2021 | nnpp | LIMA"](https://peru21.pe/lima/lurin-museo-nacional-del-peru-sera-inaugurado-en-julio-del-2021-nnpp-noticia/). *[Peru21](/source/Peru21)* (in Spanish). 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2020-11-24.

v t e Lima landmarks Pre-Columbian buildings Huaca Huallamarca Huaca Pucllana Huaca Santa Catalina Pachacamac Puruchuco Colonial buildings Balconies of Lima Basilica and Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Merced Monument Plazoleta Basilica and Convent of San Francisco Catacombs Basilica and Convent of San Pedro Basilica of Santo Domingo Plazuela Casa de Aliaga Casa de Divorciadas Casa de Osambela Casa de Pilatos Casa del Oidor Casa Goyeneche Casa Hacienda Punchauca Casa Matusita Casa O'Higgins Casa Riva-Agüero Casona of the National University of San Marcos Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Museum of Art Theatre Basilica Cathedral of Lima Sanctuary Cementerio Presbítero Matías Maestro Cripta de los Héroes Church of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Church of Saint Catherine of Siena Church of Saint Lazarus Church of the Good Death Church of the Holy Christ of Wonders Church of the Orphans Church of Our Lady of Copacabana Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church of Our Lady of Patronage Church of Saint Anne Church of Saint Augustine Church of Saint Liberata Church of Saint Mary Magdalene Convent of Our Lady of the Angels Cuartel Barbones Fort of Santa Catalina Iglesia de la Recoleta Mogrovejo Hospital Monastery of Saint Rose of Lima National Mint of Peru Palacio de la Magdalena Palacio de Torre Tagle Panteón de los Próceres Plaza de toros de Acho Real Felipe Fortress Royal College of the University of San Marcos Royal Hospital of Saint Andrew Sanctuary and Monastery of Las Nazarenas Sanctuary of Saint Rose of Lima Seminario de Lima St. Clare's Monastery Mill St. Sebastian's Church Trinitarian Church Walls of Lima Other touristic buildings Archbishop's Palace Association of Amateur Artists Atlas Building Bar Cordano Basílica María Auxiliadora BBVA Building Begonias Tower Casa Arenas Loayza Casa de Correos y Telégrafos Casa de las Trece Monedas Casa del Pueblo Casa Fernandini, Lima Casa Fernandini, Santa María del Mar Casa Roosevelt Casa Rusa Casa Sal y Rosas Casa Suárez Chinatown Arch Chocavento Tower Church of Our Lady of the Forsaken Club de la Unión Club Nacional Country Club Lima Hotel Cristo del Pacífico Delfines Hotel & Convention Center Desamparados station Diez de Octubre School Eduardo Dibos Colosseum El Ángel Cemetery Gamarra Government Palace Obelisk Gran Hotel Bolívar Gran Hotel Maury Guadalupe College Hermitage of Barranco Hospital Civil de la Misericordia Hotel Crillón Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Monument Institute of Hygiene Interbank Building Javier Alzamora Valdez Building JW Marriott Hotel Lima La Atarjea La Colmena Building La Rosa Náutica Larcomar Teatro La Plaza Library of Congress Lima Civic Center Legislative Palace Lima Convention Center Lima Stock Exchange Building Luis Gálvez Chipoco Stadium Mesa Redonda Monumental Stadium Morro Solar War Monument Mosque of Lima National Geographic Institute National Library of Peru National Maternal Perinatal Institute National Stadium of Peru Palacio de la Exposición Palacio de Miraflores Palacio Municipal Palace of Justice Pan-American Athletes' Village Petroperú Building Public Ministry of Peru Quinta Heeren Quinta Leuro Quinta Presa Rospigliosi Castle Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus Church Sheraton Lima Historic Center Sinagoga 1870 Sinagoga Sharón The Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center Torre Banco de la Nación Museums and theatres Aeronautical Museum Bodega y Quadra Museum Canout Theatre Casa Grau Naval Museum Combatants of the Morro de Arica Museum DIRCOTE Museum Gold Museum of Peru and Arms of the World Gran Teatro Nacional José Carlos Mariátegui Museum Larco Museum Lima Art Museum Metropolitan Museum Morro Solar Planetarium Municipal Theatre Museum Museum of Congress and the Inquisition Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of the Brain Museum of the Central Reserve Bank of Peru Museum of Elections and Democracy Museum of Italian Art Museum of Natural History National Afro-Peruvian Museum National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History National Museum National Museum of Peruvian Culture Naval Museum Pinacotheca of Lima Teatro Colón Teatro Municipal Teatro Peruano Japonés Teatro Segura Squares and promenades Cinco esquinas Jirón de la Unión Pasaje Olaya Monument Pasaje Santa Rosa Pizarro statue Stone of Taulichusco Paseo de los Héroes Navales Las llamas La yunta Paseo Colón Columbus Statue Pizza Blvd. Plaza de la Bandera Plaza Bolívar Plaza Bolognesi Plaza de la Democracia Plaza Dos de Mayo Plaza Francia Statue of Liberty Plaza Grau Monument Plaza Italia Plaza José Faustino Sánchez Carrión Plaza Manco Cápac Monument Plaza Mayor Fountain Plaza Perú Plaza Ramón Castilla Monument Plaza San Martín Lamp of the Three Graces Plazuela de las Artes Plazuela del Teatro Monument Parks and zoos Alameda Chabuca Granda Alameda de los Descalzos Museum Bridge of Sighs Campo de Marte Monument Costa Verde Pan-American Complex El Olivar Friendship Park Cultural Centre Museum Heroes of Independence Park Huachipa Zoo Lima Golf Club Malecón de Miraflores Love Park Villena Bridge Medicinal Botanical Garden Kennedy Park Lachay National Reserve Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge Parque de la Exposición Fountain Parque de La Muralla Parque de la Reserva Parque de las Leyendas Paseo de Aguas Plazuela Chabuca Granda Monument Reducto № 2 Museum Reducto № 5 University Park Clock Education Antonio Ruiz de Montoya University Cayetano Heredia University Federico Villarreal National University National Superior Autonomous School of Fine Arts Cultural Centre National University of Engineering National University of San Marcos Officers' School of the National Police of Peru Peruvian University of Applied Sciences Pontifical Catholic University of Peru Raúl Porras Barrenechea Institute Ricardo Palma University Technological University of Peru University of Engineering and Technology Campus University of Lima Health Archbishop Loayza National Hospital Central Military Hospital Dos de Mayo National Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins National Hospital National Institute of Child Health National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases San Bartolomé National Hospital Víctor Larco Herrera Hospital Nearby areas with beaches Ancón Callao Base Port Chancay Port Chorrillos La Herradura Miraflores La Pampilla Pucusana Former Banco Comercial Barranco Lake Barranco Zoo Cabildo of Lima Casa Alcántara Casa Marcionelli Casa Oechsle Casa Tenaud Church of Our Lady of the Forsaken Church of Saint Mary of Charity Cine Tauro El Sexto Prison Gate of Lima Giacoletti Building Great Clock of Lima Hipódromo de San Felipe Hipódromo de Santa Beatriz Lima Penitentiary Limatambo Airport Limatambo Building Marsano Palace Moorish Arch Museo de la Nación National Stadium San Jorge Prison San Martín barracks Venetian Palace Saint Paul's College Viceregal Palace

[12°15′15″S 76°54′38″W / 12.254254072811106°S 76.910619590551°W / -12.254254072811106; -76.910619590551](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=National_Museum_of_Peru&params=12.254254072811_S_76.910619590551_W_)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [National Museum of Peru](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_Peru) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_Peru?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.