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Museum · Quito, Pichincha
Museo de Sitio Intiñan
Open-air museum near the Mitad del Mundo, with traditional houses, Andean and Amazonian culture, and experiments on the Equator line, such as balancing an egg on a nail.
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 de Sitio Intiñan
The Museo de Sitio Intiñan is a few minutes’ walk from the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, in San Antonio de Pichincha. The name, in kichwa, means "path of the sun." It is an open-air museum with a guided tour that passes through gardens, adobe and thatch houses, totems and objects from Ecuador’s Andean and Amazonian peoples.
The route shows traditional community life: houses, kitchens, medicinal plants, raising cuyes, and funerary customs. There are also replicas of shrunken heads, the tsantsas, a tradition of Amazonian peoples, and explanations about how ancient peoples observed the sun.
The most visited part is on the painted Equator line on the ground, where guides perform demonstrations, such as balancing an egg on the head of a nail and watching water flow in different directions on each side of the line. The demonstrations are an educational show: the actual effect of the line in those experiments is discussed by scientists.
The visit is short and lively, with guides in Spanish and English.
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
From 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Best time
In the morning or early afternoon, paired with a visit to the Mitad del Mundo. Confirm the schedule before you go.
How to get there
It is about 400 meters from the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, exiting via the side street of the complex. From Quito, take the same route as to the Mitad del Mundo.
Tip
Take the full guided tour: the demonstrations on the line are the highlight. Try to balance the egg on the nail and earn the museum’s certificate.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Museo de Sitio Intiñan
What does Intiñan mean?
"Path of the sun," in Kichwa.
Are the experiences on the Equator line real?
They are educational and entertaining demonstrations; the effect of the line in experiments such as water draining is debated by scientists.
Is Intiñan far from the Mitad del Mundo?
No, about 400 meters, a few minutes on foot.