Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera: (Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum): Founded in 1926 on an old mansion built in 1707, this museum harbors the biggest private collection of pre-columbian art that exists in the world. This museum contains an exhibition of archaeological pieces made from ceramic, gold, stone and wood, as well as textiles from pre-Hispanic cultures, especially the Peruvian northern cultures. The most outstanding pieces can be found in the the “Sala de Arte Textil” (Textile Art room), the “Gran Sala de la Cultura” (Great Room of the Culture), and the “Bóveda Sala de Oro” (vault Gold Room). Here you can also find the only collection in the world of “Erotic Huacos”, in reality showing fertility rituals, even in its relation to death.
Museo Nacional de Antropología, Arqueología e Historia: Founded by archaeologist Julio C. Tello in 1938, here you will find the largest historical exhibit in Peru, with more than 100 thousand pieces collected from all the different Peruvian cultures. The exhibit includes ceramic and metallic pieces, fabrics, funeral bales, stone sculptures and more. This museum truly the way you perceive Peruvian history. There are enough Chimu, Mochica and Huari artefacts to prove that the Andean world did not start with the Incas.
Located in the same plaza as the museum you can find the house that once was the home of Viceroys Pezuela and La Serna, as well as the Liberators José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar. The historic home has an outstanding collection of paintings, objects, documents and relics from the eras of the Viceroyalty, Emancipation, Independence and Republic.
Museo Amano: The museum was founded in 1964 and is exhibition of pre-Hispanic textiles, quipus and ceramics from Mr. Yoshirato Amanos private collection.
Gold of Peru Museum: This private collection contains a display of pre-Hispanic gold, Paracas textiles and ceramics. There’s also a bookshop and large display of military objects connected with important people from history. The Gold of Peru and Arms of the World Museums were founded by Miguel Mujica Gallo in 1968. Between both museums, 25,000 objects are on exhibit. The Gold of Peru Museum holds important pieces of gold, silver and gilded copper from a number of Peru’s different pre-Columbian cultures, including Lambayeque, Chimú, Mochica, Nazca, Frias, Huari, Vicus and Inca.
