Museo Histórico y de Armas del Morro de Arica, Military museum atop Morro de Arica, Chile

The Museo Histórico y de Armas del Morro de Arica is a military museum sitting on top of the Morro de Arica, a coastal cliff rising above the city of Arica in northern Chile. It houses weapons, uniforms, and photographs connected mainly to the War of the Pacific in the late 19th century.

The museum opened on June 7, 1974, in a former fort on the Morro, commemorating the Chilean assault of June 7, 1880, when troops under Colonel Pedro Lagos and Commander Juan José San Martín took the Ciudadela and Este forts by knife and then the summit. The defenders were Peruvian, commanded by Colonel Francisco Bolognesi, who refused to surrender; Bolognesi and San Martín died there.

The collection displays weapons, uniforms, and photographs that visitors can observe up close. The uniforms in particular give a clear sense of how soldiers were equipped during the conflicts that shaped this region.

The museum occupies the former Morro Bajo naval base at the top of the Morro, reached by road or on foot. It opens every day from 8:00 to 20:00, and staff lead guided tours. The esplanade outside looks over the city, the port, the former Alacrán island, the coast and the Azapa and Lluta valleys.

The museum occupies the Morro Bajo naval base, one of the strongpoints of the Peruvian fortress, not the summit itself. The Chilean attack began at dawn against the Ciudadela and East forts, which were taken by knife; commander Juan José San Martín was wounded there and died later in the assault.