Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino is an excellent introduction to the peoples who lived in the Americas before the Spanish arrived. It opened in December 1981 around the private collection of the Chilean architect Sergio Larraín García-Moreno, who spent nearly fifty years assembling it. Today it holds more than 3,000 pieces from almost 100 different peoples, spanning about 10,000 years.

The museum is housed in the Palacio de la Real Aduana, the former Royal Customs House built between 1805 and 1807, on the corner of Bandera and Compañía, one block from the Plaza de Armas. In January 2014 a new phase designed by the architect Smiljan Radić opened, expanding the museum's area by around 70 per cent and adding exhibition space, storage and a conservation laboratory.

There are two permanent exhibitions. América Precolombina en el Arte arranges works by cultural area, from Mesoamerica through the Intermediate Area to the Central and Southern Andes. Look out for a statue of Xipe Totec, a Teotihuacan incense burner and a Maya bas-relief; Valdivia pottery; Moche masks; and a painted cloth from the Chavín culture, around 3,000 years old and the museum's oldest textile. From the Southern Andes come Aguada urns, San Pedro snuff trays and an Inca quipu, the knotted cord used for record keeping. The second exhibition, Chile antes de Chile, traces the country's own story from the earliest fishing groups to today's indigenous peoples, and is a useful primer before travelling on around Chile.

Allow about two hours to see both exhibitions properly. Audio guides and mediated visits are available, and the shop sells replicas of pre-Columbian pieces, indigenous crafts and books, which makes it a good place for gifts. Ticket prices differ for Chilean residents and foreign visitors, and students pay less; check the museum's website for current opening hours before you go.

Being a block from the Plaza de Armas, it is close to the Cathedral and the metro, so it fits well into a day in the historic centre. It suits adults and older children with an interest in history, archaeology and design. The museum's contact address is [email protected].