LIMA'S  MUSEUMS

LARCO HERRERA
The Rafael Larco Herrera Museum, more commonly referred to as just the Larco Museum. It is housed in an 18th Century viceroy mansion built on the site of a 7th Century pre-Colombian pyramid. The Larco Museum contains a huge collection of ceramics with more than 45,000 pieces, man can be viewed in the storage area as well. A large portion of the collection is from the Moche and Chimú cultures. They also have a collection erotic pottery, which is off limits to children.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ARCHEOLOGY ANTROPOLOGICAL AND HISTORY
The National Archaeology, Anthropology, and History Museum (Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología, e Historia) explore the history of Peru from prehistoric times to the colonial era. Visitors are not overwhelmed by the amount of material, making it easier to understand .
On display are ceramics, stone carvings of figures and obelisks, wrapped mummies and burial tombs, jewelry, tapestries, gold and metal work,and scale models of many archeological sites. The ceramic collection features pieces which date from 2800 bc, as well as a selection of erotic figures. The stone carved obelisks include the granite Tello Obelisk and the famous Estela Raimondi.
The Museum also offers visitors the opportunity to walk through the adjacent home, once occupied by both Jose de San Martin and Simon Bolivar.

NATIONAL MUSEUM
The Museo de la Nacion (National Museum) is the largest museum in Lima and the best place to begin exploring Peru's ancient history and gain an understanding of Peruvian culture. The museum covers the entire archeological history of Peru from the first inhabitants to the Inca Empire.
Exhibits are laid out in chronological order, showing the advances from one culture to the next. On display are impressive collections of ceramics and textiles, as well as illustrations and models. Archeological sites, including Machu Picchu and Nazca lines are recreated with scale models.
Most impressive is the replica of the grave of the Lord Sipan.

GOLD MUSEUM
As the name suggests the Museo de Oro houses a huge collection of gold with thousands of pieces of gold, silver, and copper On display are funerary masks, jewelry, ceremonial knives, figurines, and other pieces acquired from a variety of archeological sites throughout Peru. There are pieces from Chavín, Vicus, Moche, Chimú, Inca, Chancay, Paracas, Nazca and Tihuanaco cultures. In addition to the metal works, the Museo do Oro also contains a collection of textiles, stone carvings and ceramics.Upstairs is the Arms Museum, displaying weapons from around the world, representing a variety of time periods.

MUSEO DE ARTE DE LIMA (MALI)
The Exhibition Hall, a building that houses the Museo de Arte de Lima - MALI, is one of the finest examples of eclectic architecture in Lima. Designed and built to host the first major public exhibition in our country, the Great Exhibition of Arts, Sciences and Industry ", held on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of independence, easily fits the museum functions as was built specifically for exhibition purposes. It was built between 1870 and 1871 under President José Balta. It is a precursor building in Latin America, it is one of the most important early works done in the new construction technique in iron. Designed in the neo-Renaissance style, design and construction is due to the Italian architect Antonio Leonardi. The fabrication of the columns, made in iron and imported from Europe, is attributed to the Eiffel house. Surrounded by statues, gardens and zoo, the Palace was the heart of one of the major urban projects of the last century, following the example of European expositions.
Peruvian Art Museum (Museo de Arte) is located in the Parque de la Cultura, south of Central Lima. The museum is best known for its large variety of Peruvian art. In addition to a huge collection of Peruvian paintings from the 16th Century to current day, there are also displays of colonial furniture, pre-Colombian ceramics, jewels, and colonial dresses. The Peruvian Art Museum hosts temporary exhibits on occasion, which cost extra. Also on site are a cinema and café.

PRESBITERO MATIAS MAESTRO
General Cemetery "Presbítero Matías Maestro" is a historical monument located in the Barrios Altos (Lima), Lima, Peru's capital. Opened on May 31, 1808, was the first cemetery in the city since before the burials were made in any of the various churches. It was named after its designer, the priest Matías Maestro. His 766 tombs of the finest architecture of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries kept the remains of men and women who were commissioned to write the history of Peru. More than a cemetery, the Presbitero Maestro is considered a living testimony of past and present of the Republic of Peru.

Cemetery contains graves of many historical characters of Peru in addition to the mausoleum erected in honor of the heroes of the Pacific War.

MUSEO ENRICO POLI BIANCHI
Is a private collection amassed by Enrico Poli of archaeological objects, gold textiles, colonial silver and paintings, of Inca and other pre-Columbian cultures. This collection of paintings, ceramics, gold and silver pieces and wooden sculptures was featured in National Geographic. The tours have to be arranged in advance and are given by the owner in Spanish only, but the museum is definitely worth a visit.

MUSEO AMANO
Located in Miraflores, Museo Amano (Amano Museum) houses the private collection of Mr. Yoshitaro Amano, who the museum is named after. On display are ceramics and textiles, organized chronologically to illustrate the differences and advances from one culture to the next. Although there are a range of Pre-Columbian cultures represented, including Chimu and Nazca, the Museo Amano is best known for its remarkable collection of textiles from the Chancay culture. This is a lesser known culture from the northern coast and consequently not seen as much in other museums.

Guided tours of Museo Amano are available to small groups only and last about one hour. Tours must be booked in advance.