You arrive in Cusco (11,152 ft / 3,399 m), a city steeped in Inca history and colonial charm. You’ve likely explored the adjacent ruins and stood in the main square – now it’s time to dive into the city’s museums. Each one presents a layer of Cusco’s past and present you can touch and study up close.
Why Visit Museums in Cusco
Museums here let you
- trace Inca life through ceramics textiles and mummies
- see miniature archaeological models of lost sites
- learn about the “Cusco School” of colonial painting
- taste local chocolate traditions and modern cacao research
- connect with local craftspeople and their stories
Exploring these collections deepens your visit and brings more meaning to every stone wall and narrow cobblestone street you walk.
Top Museums to Explore
- Museum of Pre-Columbian Art
- Inka Museum
- Regional Historical Museum
- Casa Concha Museum
- Museum of Religious Art
- Coricancha Site Museum
- Santa Catalina Museum
- Contemporary Art Museum
Museum of Pre-Columbian Art – Ancient Cultures Collection
Address
Plaza Nazarenas 231 (11,152 ft / 3,399 m) – two blocks behind the Cathedral
Hours
Daily 09 – 22 h
Admission
US $ 7 per adult | US $ 4 per student
Visit time
2–3 h
This museum sits in a restored colonial mansion whose lineage goes back to Inca schools for nobility. You’ll enter a central cobbled courtyard with a carved stone fountain and then move through four floors of exhibits. Over 450 objects trace cultures from 1250 BC up to the arrival of the Spanish in 1532 AD. You begin in a video salon that sets the scene then move through wood-working displays, Nazca ceramics, Mochica metalwork, Wari textiles, Chimu jewelry and more. The collection finishes with Inca artifacts colonial gold and silver pieces.
Inka Museum – Inca Empire Artifacts
Address
Ataud Street 154 – one block behind the Cathedral
Hours
Mon–Fri 09:30 – 18 h | Sat 09:30 – 16 h
Admission
US $ 3 per adult | US $ 1.50 per student
Visit time
3 h
Housed in a 17th-century Spanish mansion once damaged by earthquake this museum is run by the National University of Cusco (UNSAAC). You’ll see pre-Hispanic ceramics textiles and metalwork alongside Inca mummies and skulls. The displays include drinking vessels and jewelry from Machu Picchu and nearby valleys. Don’t miss the ornate wooden ceilings and the courtyard weaving demonstrations where you can watch local artisans at work.
Regional Historical Museum – “Cusipata” Heritage
Address
Corner of Garcilaso & Heladeros streets
Hours
Daily 08 – 17 h
Admission
Included in the General Cusco Tourist Ticket (US $ 36)
Visit time
3 h
Located in the former home of chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega this museum blends Inca and colonial history. The Andalusian-style mansion surrounds a large patio with a decorative fountain. Inside you’ll find masterworks of the Cusco School by Diego Quispe Tito Pablo Chillitupa and Bernardo Bitti alongside a timeline of pre-Inca and Inca artifacts – Nazca mummies Inca textiles ceramics and metal tools. The museum also shows original letters papers and personal items of Garcilaso de la Vega.
Casa Concha Museum – Machu Picchu Finds
Address
Santa Catalina Ancha 320 – half a block from the main square
Hours
Mon–Sat 09 – 17 h
Admission
US $ 6 per adult | US $ 3 per student
Visit time
2 h
Once the home of Spanish governor José de Santiago Concha this colonial building now houses nearly 400 items excavated at Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham. You’ll learn how early 20th-century fieldwork sent artifacts to Yale and how most were eventually returned to Peru. Displays include ceramics metal lithic and bone pieces alongside full-scale Inca tools and ritual objects. The whitewashed patios framed by wooden balconies offer a quiet spot to reflect on the lives of those who lived in the citadel.
Museum of Religious Art – Colonial Devotion
Address
Herrajes 38 at Hatunrumioc Street
Hours
Mon–Sat 08 – 18 h
Admission
Included in General Cusco Tourist Ticket (US $ 36)
Visit time
1 h
Built atop the palace of Inca Roca this 16th-century building preserves a stretch of Inca wall with the famous 12-angle stone. Inside you can admire cedar-carved ceilings stained-glass windows and Moorish-style doors. The collection focuses on colonial religious paintings – Corpus Christi scenes Zodiac series by Diego Quispe Tito and Cusco School canvases – as well as sculpture and processional figures used in local fiestas.
Coricancha Site Museum – Sun Temple Underground
Address
Avenida El Sol, 3rd block – in front of the Santo Domingo Convent
Hours
Mon–Sat 09 – 17 h | Sun 14 – 16 h
Admission
Included in General Cusco Tourist Ticket (US $ 36)
Visit time
45 min
Beneath the Santo Domingo Convent lies Coricancha – the Inca “Golden Temple” of the Sun. This underground museum reveals excavated walls once covered in gold sheets alongside temple foundations. You’ll see mummies textiles ceramics musical instruments and recreated ritual spaces. The five-room exhibit walks you through pre-Inca to Inca worship practices and the Spanish conversion of this central shrine.
Santa Catalina Museum – Nuns’ World
Address
Santa Catalina Ancha 401 – historic center
Hours
Mon–Sat 08:30 – 17:30
Admission
US $ 3 per adult | US $ 1.50 per student
Visit time
1 h
Set in the former Acllahuasi or “House of the Chosen” this monastery museum shows the daily life of nuns from colonial times to today. You move through the church refectory dormitories chapter house and mortuary rooms. Collections include 17th–18th-century Cusco School paintings colonial tapestries and silver-plated liturgical items. The peaceful cloisters and gardens invite you to pause and reflect.
Contemporary Art Museum – Modern Creations
Address
Municipal Palace, Espinar 270 – Plaza del Regocijo
Hours
Mon–Sat 09 – 18:30
Admission
Included in General Cusco Tourist Ticket (US $ 36)
Visit time
30 min
Housed in the city’s Municipal Palace this gallery displays over 300 works by local and international artists. You’ll find paintings sculptures and mixed-media pieces that reference Inca symbols colonial motifs and modern life in the Andes. More than 50 temporary exhibitions rotate each year so you can return again and again and see something new.
Museum visits round out your Cusco experience – after exploring stone plazas and temple walls spend time among curated collections that tell the full story of this Imperial City. Whether you spend an afternoon or a full day in each venue you’ll leave with fresh insights and plenty of photos to remember every corner.