Location: Santiago
Top Things to do in Santiago
What to do and see in Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region: The Best History Museums
Santiago is one of those metropolitan joys where the more you look, the more you find. Funky cafes and dance clubs dot Bellavista, Forest Park art collections range from pre-Columbian to contemporary, and architecture runs the gamut from the 16th-century San Francisco Church to mirrored office towers. Shop with the locals at Mall Panora¡mico and give your palate meals to remember with hearty Chilean fare.
Restaurants in Santiago
1. Sala Museo Gabriela Mistral
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
2. Museo Palacio Cousino
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 89 reviews
Reviewed By dwport - Melbourne, Australia
This is a hidden treasure of Santiago. My partner who was born and raised here had no idea it existed, so it was new experience for both of us, but became a highlight of our trip. Amazing historical building, it's like stepping into royal Europe. The tour is included in the entry price, English tours available, and a real insight into the history of Santiago. The architecture, furniture and antique items are astounding. Highly recommended if you love history. Unfortunately you cannot take photos inside the building.
3. Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,856 reviews
The Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino) in Santiago, Chile is a jewel among the world's museums and a highlight to any trip to Chile. Widely regarded as one of the best museums in Latin America, this unique establishment houses an impressive collection of artifacts from ancient Central and South America, which underscores the rich cultural diversity and artistic splendor of the Pre-Columbian Americas.
Reviewed By SophiaK - Athens, Greece
An ultra modern, beautiful museum with the most fascinating display of Chilean treasures, and not only. The amazing exhibits include pottery, sculpture, jewelry and textiles from the Chilean territory as well as from central America. We followed the free English tour (which was excellent) for about half hour and then we wondered through the floors on our own. Make sure you don’t miss the room with the textiles, which is part of the permanent exhibition. It is a room on the first floor, usually dark with revolving doors in order to preserve the artworks. Truly amazing.
4. Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,112 reviews
The Museum of Memory and Human Rights seeks to draw attention to human rights violations committed by the Chilean state between 1973 and 1990. Its mission is to allow dignity for victims and their families, stimulate reflection and debate and to promote respect and tolerance in order that these events never happen again. It is a Bicentennial project, inaugurated on January 2010, by then President Bachelet. Its purpose is to promote educational initiatives that enhance knowledge and consideration. Its location, on Matucana Street, is also part of an ongoing effort to promote the cultural circuit of Santiago's West Side. Through objects, documents and archives presented in different settings and formats, as well as a innovative sight and sound presentation, it is possible to learn part of this history: the military coup, the repression that took place in the following years, the resistance movement, exile, international solidarity, reparation policies.
Reviewed By yheisler - Toronto, Canada
This is a sobering look at the atrocities committed in Chile under the Pinochet Regime, and a must-see for visitors to Santiago. The museum itself is beautiful and well laid-out, and the exhibits inside are easy to follow and really reveal a lot of details about the darker history of Chile.
5. Museo Colchagua
6. Museo Violeta Parra
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 214 reviews
Reviewed By 445martij - Spain, null
I know Violeta Parra only for her song Gracias A La Vida. Walking around in the city I saw a sign to this museum. Free entry. Many paintings outside and a lot to see inside. You hear her music, can read her poetry see her textile needle work. Close to the metro station Baquedano.
7. Museo Interactivo Audiovisual
8. Museo de Bomberos de Santiago
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10 reviews
The first interactive museum about the firemen of Chile. MUBO is an exciting experience, that invites all to get involved in the history, emotions and memories of these firemen.This museum offers the opportunity to learn about the firefighter's heritage across the Chilean history, and to feel engaged with the commitment of these men, who are the only ones that are 100% volunteer in the world.
Reviewed By jilla407 - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
So glad we spotted this little private museum. We spent about an hour here. The museum us midterm and the displays, particularly in Room 1 are really well done in Spanish and in English. There are good interactive displays too and the use of modern technology and videos. It was fascinating to read about the history and devastating to see some of the fires that have ravaged the towns and buildings such as that in Valparaiso and also the Basilica in Santiago. Good things for little kids too . Outside yes a lovely courtyard with shiny old fire engines. It was very reasonably priced for entry. Can't recommend it highly enough. I shoukd also add it has very good air conditioning which was perfect fir a very hot day like today.
9. National Museum of History
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,044 reviews
Reviewed By myom624 - Coquitlam, Canada
Thanks to the "well-organized" floor plan, it was quite easy to kind of "follow the displays" (according to the timeline) which are mainly grouped into two historical periods, namely the "colonial period" (on the first floor where there are actually also some artifacts from the pre-colonial times on display) & the "liberation period" (on the second floor where there's also a section of the floor for displays relating to the "modern republic). Among the many great displays (colorful paintings, beautiful furniture, a few "life-like" human models & some nicely-made miniatures of places) are: a portrait of Christopher Columbus with nearby a model of his ship or a ship at the time of continental discovery, a portrait of the conquistador Valdivia who founded the city of Santiago (where there's actually an equestrian statue of him on one corner of Plaza de Armas just shortly outside this museum), portraits of some prominent figures of the 19th century "liberation period" such as Bernardo O'Higgins & Diego Portales, two miniature models which are really "quite detailed" depictions of the city & Plaza de Armas (as they appeared two hundred years ago or so), and some old newspaper front pages at the time of the "military coup" in the early 1970's. Located on the north side of Plaza de Armas, my suggestion is to do this site along with Metropolitan Cathedral (with an "ornate ceiling" & plenty of saint statues inside) on the west side of the Plaza just a very short walk to the right after coming out of this museum, then along that side of the Plaza all the way to the end where a right turn followed by a very short walk leads to Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (with plenty of "attractive & interesting" pre-colonial artifacts not only from Chile but also from various parts of South & Central Americas). And if coming by metro, Plaza de Armas Station (Line 5) is where to get off which is directly under the Plaza.
10. Museo Ferroviario de Santiago
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