Nobody told me there's gold, but there is. There's gold in this tiny little museum. It's only a few bracelets and necklaces, but still, it's pretty impressive for a few thousand CLP. Additionally, the exhibits that are in English provide great insight to how life was before Spanish colonialism and for those that can read Spanish, information on the influence of the Tiwanaku and Inka states and the peaceful relationship with the local Atacameños and the influence on their art and technology. There are also some great paintings from the early 20th century that show the San Pedro area before mass tourism arrived. A must-see!
euromnlostatsea
Good quantity and quality of English explanations. Covers the full period of human population from ~12000 years ago to present, but mainly focused on pre-Inca.
Walter1945
- Good overview over the history of the region- Having heard of a huge collection of artifacts by Father Le Paige, I would have expected more of them to be exhibited at the museum
travellercarol_13
For a regional museum this place is extremely well put together and very informative. A good place to visit first so that you can appreciate the region as you go round. Make sure you watch the video about why they don't exhibit mummies any more. Very interesting.
JonathonMcC
An important place to gain insight into the Atacama desert. San Pedro isn't that big a place, so the museum is a must see.