Undoubtedly, Machu Picchu is the main travel destination in Peru since its authentic natural scenery and outstanding engineering work make it so astonishing that everyone wants to take part in this adventure while traveling to South America.
The famous historical sanctuary is an open book of Incan history, where you get to walk through time and experience the everlasting energy of such a sacred location.
However, though you surely get to know about the structure and sort of way of living of the site, you don’t get as much insight about the artifacts, techniques, and other details that surely complement the experience in the archeological site.
For that reason, the Machu Picchu Museum, also known as Museo Manuel Chávez Ballón, offers a total immersion in the history of the Inca Citadel with interactive exhibitions that showcase artifacts and pottery art found on the site.
If you have some spare time in the Aguas Calientes town, this attraction should be on your bucket list! Here you’ll get to understand even more about the renowned Inca civilization and also about the discovery process of Machu Picchu.
The Machu Picchu Museum in Aguas Calientes was founded in 2005 in honor of the dedicated archeologist Manuel Chávez Ballón.
The illustrious character was born in Puno in 1919 and was passionately driven by Peruvian history and archeology, leading him to pursue higher education at the University of San Antonio Abad del Cusco.
He and his mentor, Julio Cesar Tello, another renowned archeologist in Peru, set course on an expedition through Southern Peru to explore Machu Picchu in 1942.
They took the ancient Inca Trail to this wonder of the world and stood upon the Wiñay Huayna Archeological Site. Thanks to this discovery, they carried out excavations and restored the Inca remains, a great contribution to the history of Cusco and Peru.
Nowadays, the museum looks to portray the most important aspects of the Inca Citadel, where they showcase Inca pottery metallurgical art, and other daily artifacts, as well as all the documentation and insights about its “discovery” back in 1911.
The Machu Picchu Museum holds seven exhibition rooms, allowing the visitor to go on a back-in-time journey through each gallery:
- Machu Picchu - The City Among Mist
- In the Time Machine
- Spreading History. A Day in the Life of Machu Picchu.
- Intertwining the Amazon and the Andes.
- Between Findings and Evidence.
- Ways to Feel Machupicchu.
- Ecology, flora, and fauna of the Historic Sanctuary of Machupicchu.
Also, to complement the overall experience, the Museum offers a Botanical Garden where they look to preserve the local flora and fauna. The garden holds hundreds of plant species, including some of the many orchids of the region, an authentic natural scenery that you surely can’t miss.
As aforementioned, the museum is located in the Aguas Calientes region, at a 30-minute walk from the town near the Puente Ruinas. You can easily get to this location by foot going in the direction of Hidroeléctrica.
The self-guided visit could take up to 1.5 hours to complete, make sure to visit each gallery so you can get fully immersed in the history of such majestic places. Also, if you wish to continue your adventure, you could walk a few meters from there and reach the Jardines de Mandor.
Would you like to know more about Peru? Here you’ll find all the information you need for your trip. Our local expert team has prepared the most complete informative guides for you!
Also, if you’re eager to know Peru at its fullest, check out our travel packages and live an authentic experience with Viagens Machu Picchu.
