Machu Picchu Museum

What to See and Do at the Machu Picchu Site Museum?

There are 3 main activities to do at this place:

• Exhibition: Offers an educational exhibition divided into 8 sequences distributed in infographics, panels, maps, and videos accompanied by a collection of ceramics, metals, and more.
• Archaeological Remains: Inside, you can also find bone remains belonging to the ancient inhabitants of the Inca city, along with clothes, ceramics, and tools they used.
• Botanical Garden: After visiting the interior of the museum, you can continue to the botanical garden where you can enjoy nature accompanied by the sound of the Urubamba River.

Why is it Known as the Manuel Chávez Ballón Museum?

The Manuel Chávez Ballón Museum is named in honor of its founder, Manuel Chávez Ballón, a well-known historian and explorer. In the early 1960s, thanks to the efforts of historian Manuel Chávez, the construction of the Site Museum was carried out.

This museum began with the exhibition of Inca archaeological samples and cultural material found in the Machu Picchu sanctuary, without considering their historical function. In the year 2000, the way the objects were presented to the public was restructured, considering their historical value and including thorough archaeological research on the objects.

Thus, on July 25, 2005, the museum reopened its doors and the current Manuel Chávez Ballón Museum was inaugurated, named in honor of its founder.

Brief Biography of Manuel Chávez Ballón

He was born on June 12, 1919, in Puno. In his adolescence, he guided Luís E. Valcárcel and Julio César Tello to reach Pucara, an expedition that would mark his vocation. He studied pedagogy at the Universidad Mayor de San Marcos, where in 1942 he joined the Southern Peru Archaeological Expedition as a delegate of that university, an expedition led by Dr. Julio C. Tello, during which Wiñaywayna was discovered.

He was appointed National Visitor of Archaeological Monuments in 1963 and three years later became the Resident Archaeologist of the Machu Picchu Archaeological Complex, where he managed the construction of the site museum of the Inca citadel. In 1977, he founded the professional career of archaeology and at the same time founded the "Talle Inka" where he also taught. He died on June 12, 2000, in his workshop.

Location and Entrance to the Machu Picchu Museum

The Manuel Chávez Ballón Museum is located at Km 112 on the way up to the Machu Picchu citadel, about 5 minutes by bus and about 30 minutes walking from Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu Pueblo.

The museum's opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Sunday.

Location

Rates and Entrance Fees to the Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum

The entrance can be purchased at the museum entrance at the following prices: