Lima Sights

Museo Rafael Larco Herrera

#1 of 306 things to do in Lima

#2 of 2412 sights in South America

4 reviews | Write a review

Good for: best museum

Not good for: There are no negatives

  • Address
    • Av Bolívar 1515 Pueblo Libre
  • Transport
    • from Arequipa in Miraflores marked 'Todo Bolivar'
  • Website
    • museolarco.perucultural.org.pe
  • Email
  • Phone
    • tel, info: 01 461 1312
  • Price
    • adult/student US$8/US$4
  • Hours
    • 09:00-18:00 daily

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Lonely Planet review for Museo Rafael Larco Herrera

An 18th-century viceroy mansion built on the site of a pre-Columbian pyramid houses the highly recommended privately-run Museo Rafael Larco Herrera , has one of the largest ceramics collections to be found anywhere.

It is said to include over 50,000 pots, many of which were collected in the 1920s by a former vice president of Peru. The first rooms resemble a storeroom, stacked right to the ceilings with an overwhelming jumble of ceramics. Further into the museum, the best pieces are displayed in the uncluttered manner they deserve. They include a selection of gold and silver pieces, feathered textiles and an astonishing Paracas weaving that contains 398 threads to the linear inch - a world record. But for all this, many tourists are lured here simply by the famous collection of pre-Columbian erotic pots that illustrate, with remarkable explicitness, the sexual practices of ancient Peruvian men, women, skeletons and animals in all combinations of the above. Photography is not allowed. Catch a bus from Av Arequipa in Miraflores marked 'Todo Bolivar' to Bolivar's 15th block. A painted blue line should link this building to the Museo Nacional de Antropología, Arqueología y Historía del Peru, located a 10- to 15-minute walk away.

 

Traveller reviews for Museo Rafael Larco Herrera (4)

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    Should the No.1 museum on your list

    bachonysus recommends this,

    I have not visited all the museums in Lima but I have visited quite a few and this is he one no one should miss. If you only have time to visit one museum in Lima this is the one you want to visit. They do not have the number of gold objects that some museums do but what they do have is superb. Their specialty is ceramics and what a collection of ceramics they have!!! The quality and workmanship that went into some of these pieces is unmatched any where in the world. Also for a nominal fee you can hire a guide who speaks your language( for most popular languages). While you are there try their restaurant, is also very good and the prices are reasonable.

    Good for: best museum

    Not good for: There are no negatives

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    A great information about Peru!

    wingsonfire recommends this,

    We really had a great time in this museum, The exhibition is very didactic, the 1st galeries show a great panel of various pre-Columbian civilizations and are organized in a geographical and chronological way. We learnt a lot through their pottery! Then the exhibition gets more thematical with the textile room, or the sacrificial gallery. The musem showcases the most important colelction of gold, silver and jewelry of Ancient Peru.
    I was personnaly impressed by the storage area: there are more than 38.000 pieces of art (mainly ceramic)!!!

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    Amazing museum

    rayolazaro recommends this,

    This museum is fabulous and very interesting! We thought the guided tour was not too long like the ones you can get in other museums, and it was very clear and easy to understand. We definitly learnt a lot and dont regret spending a few hours there!
    I particularly enjoyed the metal collection and all the jewelry!
    This visit helped us understanding more about Peru and was definitly a good start for our trip throughout the country!

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    The place not to miss in Lima

    anso1986 recommends this,

    The Larco museum is for me the main attraction in Lima. This is the kind of place you really don´t forget and where you could go over and over again still learning more each time you go...The place is breathtaking: an imposing white colonial mansion overlooking a colourful garden, flowers everywhere and a pleasant and delicious restaurant, "el Café del Museo". The collection is really rich and is very well-organized, in a geographical and chronological way, the museum has just been renovated. Among all the treasures you can find there, the Larco museum has an important Moche collection, including very realistic sexual pieces in the erotic gallery. But what is most interesting about the place is the fact that their storage zone is open to the public. In total, there are more than 45.000 pieces that you can admire there. The Larco museum is a must do if you get the chance to travel Peru...

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