Museum of the Americas

The Museum of the Americas ringing together pieces of history and culture from across the American continents, including collections of prehistoric, colonial, and ethnographic items. There is a range of artifacts — from pre-Columbus Peru and Guatemala to contemporary indigenous cultures from the coast of North America. Together the exhibits aim to tell the story of the Americas over 12,000 years of history, from anthropology to religion to arts. Many of the historic items were brought back to Spain from explorers who left for the continents in search of gold, and the majority of the artifacts are from South America.  Permanent exhibitions are organized into five categories or themes: awareness of America, reality of America, society, religion, and communication. A few items are particular note are the Viracocha head and the Quimbayas Treasure, and the Tudela codex which details the Aztec code of law from the 16th century. Together the artifacts show the evolution of human life on the American continents as well as the imperialism of Spain. 

Practical Info

Located at Avenida de los Reyes Católicos 6, the museum is open daily from 9:30 am to 8:30 pm. The nearest metro stations are Moncloa and Islas Filipinas. Entrance is 3 €.