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Museum · La Serena, Coquimbo
Museo Arqueológico de La Serena
A state museum founded in 1943, with Diaguita pottery, pieces from the El Molle culture and a moai brought from Easter Island. It is housed in a Plano Serena building about 500 meters from Plaza de Armas.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Museo Arqueológico de La Serena
The Museo Arqueológico de La Serena is on the corner of Cordovez and Cienfuegos streets in the historic center. It was founded in 1943 by Francisco Cornely, who researched the Diaguita culture in the Elqui Valley, and it passed to the State a few years later. Today it is part of the museum network of the National Cultural Heritage Service.
The museum building was completed in 1954 as part of the Plano Serena, and the façade displays a baroque stone portal salvaged from a colonial house. An extension added new floors and underground rooms.
The archaeology gallery shows Diaguita pottery with geometric painting, and pieces with Inca influence, such as duck-shaped jars. There are also objects from the El Molle culture, which lived in the region's valleys before the Diaguita.
One of the highlights is the moai brought from Easter Island, the Chilean territory in the middle of the Pacific linked to the Rapa Nui culture. The captions are in Spanish.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About one to one and a half hours.
Best time
In the morning, Tuesday to Saturday; the museum is closed on Sundays, Mondays and some public holidays. Check before you go.
How to get there
On foot, about 500 meters east of Plaza de Armas: follow Cordovez and turn left onto Cienfuegos.
Tip
Allow time for the Diaguita pottery gallery and for the moai in the courtyard. Combine the visit with La Recova, which is a few blocks to the north.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Museo Arqueológico de La Serena
What to see at the Archaeological Museum of La Serena?
Diaguita pottery, pieces from the El Molle culture and the moai from Ilha de Páscoa.
Does the museum have texts in Portuguese?
No, the captions are in Spanish. The painted pottery and the moai are easily understood without translation.
Is the Archaeological Museum of La Serena open every day?
No. It usually opens Tuesday through Saturday. Check the days before you go.