It has been over three decades since the founding of the Chilean Museum of pre-Columbian art. This was an innovative idea for Latin American countries to create an institution that would safeguard, studied and spread the artistic heritage of all pre-Columbian peoples of America, without regard to political boundaries separating these countries.

It was founded by prominent Chilean architect and Antiques collector Sergio Larraín garcía-Moreno, who was looking for a place to store his collection of pre-Columbian artifacts, purchased for fifty years.

With the support of the municipal government of Santiago, and personal participation of Sergio Larrain Garcia-Moreno, began construction of the Museum and founded a research Institute based on it. The Museum opened its doors in December 1981 in the Palacio de La real Aduana de Santiago, in the historic center of Santiago de Chile. From late 2011 to 2013, the Museum was closed to update their collections and restoration.

The building of the Palacio de La real Aduana de Santiago, also known under the names of the Royal customs Palace and the Old Palace of justice, built between 1805 and 1807. Its construction was entrusted to the military engineer josé maría de of Atherosclerotic and implemented by the famous architect Joaquin Toesca. In 1969, this building was included in the list of national monuments of Chile.

The Museum has an extensive collection of materials on pre-Columbian culture, the culture of the Aztecs, Maya and Inca, a Chilean indigenous peoples – diaguita, Mapuche, Rapa Nui, selknam and many others.

The Museum houses more than 3,000 exhibits, representing almost 100 different pre-Columbian cultures of the period within 10,000 years. The collection is divided into four zones. First, mesoamerica Area, in which you can see the statue of the deity Xipe Totec, the censer with Teotihuacan, the Mayan bas-reliefs from Easter island. Second, Intermedia Area, on the shelves of the hall where you can see pottery culture Valdivia and Capuli, gold items with the province of Veraguas (Panama) and Decoys, pre-Columbian indigenous cultures of Costa Rica, which flourished from 700 g. n.e. until 1530 n.e. Third, Area Andes Centrales, with a large collection of masks and brass figures, many of whom were removed from their graves. Also in this part of the exhibition you can see a large collection of textile culture Urine (Northern Peru) and culture Chavin civilization that developed in the Northern Andes in Peru with 900 g. to n.e. to 200 g. to n.e. The oldest exhibit in this part of the Museum - dyed fabric, which is almost 3000 years. The fourth area, Area Andres del Sur, is a collection of ceramic urns Aguada culture, snuff culture of San Pedro and the subjects of the Inca quipu from the territory of modern Chile and Argentina.

Visitors to the Museum can see exhibits permanent and temporary exhibitions of pre-Columbian art of Latin America all year round.