Museo de Colchagua, History museum in Santa Cruz, Chile

Museo de Colchagua is a history museum in Santa Cruz housing about 7,000 artifacts arranged chronologically across eight exhibition halls. The collections range from fossils and early remains to objects from modern Chilean history.

The museum was founded in 1995 through the donation of Carlos Cardoen, a businessman who collected artworks and historical objects from around the world. This collection forms the core of what visitors see today and documents the region's past.

The museum displays pre-Hispanic metalwork and Andean textiles that show how early inhabitants of the region lived and created. These objects reveal the craftsmanship and traditions that shaped the culture of South America.

The museum occupies a colonial-style casona in Santa Cruz, with exhibits arranged chronologically from paleontology to the 20th century, so follow the halls in order to keep the sequence. The building was closed for eight months after the 27 February 2010 earthquake and reopened on 2 October 2010. The railway section, opened on 17 September 2001, holds the Type 57 No. 599 locomotive.

The museum preserves a memorial section dedicated to the rescue of 33 miners from the San José Mine in 2010 with a replica of the Phoenix II rescue capsule. This part tells a remarkable story from recent history that resonates with many Chileans.