Inside a crescent-shaped building with a leafy patio, this museum makes an ambitious attempt to corral Chile's pre-Columbian past. Its highlights include an Atacameña mummy, a hefty 2.5m-high moai (large anthropomorphic statue) from Easter Island and interesting Diaguita artifacts such as a dinghy made from sea-lion hide.
Museo Arqueológico
La Serena
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.51 MILES
With its trickling brooks, drifting swans and neatly manicured rock gardens, this Japanese garden makes an idyllic escape from the city bustle. Don't miss…
28.19 MILES
Like Mamalluca, the shiny hilltop Observatorio Collowara in Andacollo is built for tourists; no serious interstellar research is conducted here. Two-hour…
Museo Histórico Casa Gabriel González Videla
0.35 MILES
Although richly stocked with general historical artifacts, this two-story museum in an 18th-century mansion concentrates on one of La Serena's best-known …
6.9 MILES
A cross between a holy pilgrimage site and theme park, this whopping 93m-high concrete cross can be clearly seen from La Serena’s beaches and makes for an…
5.75 MILES
Also known as Fuerte Lambert, this former 19th-century fortification offers picturesque views over the bay from a rocky perch near the peninsula's…
0.29 MILES
The heart of the colonial center is the palm-filled Plaza de Armas. The picturesque square makes a fine place for a stroll with a bit of people-watching…
0.17 MILES
Tucked off Balmaceda, this small, picturesque lane is dotted with shops and eateries. The patio in back feels like a secret getaway from the city-center…
0.18 MILES
The granddaddy of all La Serena's churches is a colonial marvel, two blocks southeast of the plaza and built in the early 1600s. It's a stone construction…
Nearby La Serena attractions
0.13 MILES
La Serena's most vibrant market offers a jumble of dried fruits, rain sticks and artisan jewelry, plus a wide range of Andean wool clothing and crafts. It…
0.17 MILES
Tucked off Balmaceda, this small, picturesque lane is dotted with shops and eateries. The patio in back feels like a secret getaway from the city-center…
0.18 MILES
The granddaddy of all La Serena's churches is a colonial marvel, two blocks southeast of the plaza and built in the early 1600s. It's a stone construction…
0.24 MILES
The handsome neoclassical Iglesia Catedral dates from 1844; it also has a sobering museum of religious art.
0.29 MILES
The heart of the colonial center is the palm-filled Plaza de Armas. The picturesque square makes a fine place for a stroll with a bit of people-watching…