Museum of Natural History, Lima

The Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum in Lince, Lima, Peru, displaying minerals, fossils, and biological specimens in research departments for zoology, geoscience, and botany. The spaces spread across an eight-story building that houses display cases, preserved specimens, and scientific collections.

San Marcos University founded the institution in the mid-20th century as one of Peru's first facilities for natural science research and species preservation. Over the decades, the collection grew through expeditions to remote regions of the country.

The collections carry Peruvian names and display animals and plants from the country's varied climate zones, from the Amazon to the coast. Visitors can see species that live in the Andes or the rainforest and are still studied today.

The museum sits on Avenida Arenales 1256 in the Lince neighborhood and opens Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, and Sundays from 10 AM to 2 PM. Floors are accessible by stairs, and some exhibits are located on upper levels.

The building holds a large herbarium where dried plants are kept for identification and serve researchers from across South America. Scientists there focus especially on bats and amphibians from Peruvian habitats.

Location: Lima

Location: San Marcos

Location: Jesús María

Inception: February 28, 1918

Official opening: February 28, 1918

Height: 8 m

Operator: UNMSM

Address: Museu Javier Prado, Av. Arenales 1256, Jesús María, Lima, Peru

Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday 09:00-17:00; Sunday 10:00-14:00

Phone: +5114710117

Email: museohn@unmsm.edu.pe

Website: https://museohn.unmsm.edu.pe

GPS coordinates: -12.07744,-77.03733

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:30