Gold Museum Lima

The Museo Oro del Perú was assembled by Miguel Mujica Gallo and opened in 1968, holding thousands of gold and silver objects - masks, ear ornaments, ceremonial knives, textiles and mummies - along with a large and unrelated collection of arms and armour from around the world. It is impossible to write about honestly without the 2001 episode: an official inspection prompted by press investigation concluded that a large proportion of the metal objects on display were modern reproductions, the museum was closed, and it reopened with the collection reviewed and reduced. The foundation disputed aspects of the finding, and pieces of genuine importance remain, but the affair permanently changed how the museum is regarded and is worth knowing before paying the entry. The weapons collection - thousands of items across several centuries - is substantial and undisputed, though it has nothing to do with Peru.

The main sights

• The metalwork - masks, ornaments and ceremonial knives in gold and silver.
• The 2001 finding - an inspection that identified many displayed pieces as reproductions.
• The arms collection - thousands of weapons and armour from around the world.
• The private origin - a single collector's holdings, opened in 1968.

When to go

Year-round. One to two hours. Monterrico is a taxi ride from the central districts.

Good to know

The authenticity controversy is the central fact about this museum and the labelling still frustrates visitors who know about it. Expensive relative to the state museums. The arms collection is unrelated to Peru and dominates the space. The Larco offers a better pre-Columbian collection.

Nearby

Surco and Monterrico are residential; Miraflores and San Isidro are west.