MAC Lima
Lima's contemporary art museum in Barranco, a low white building around a sculpture garden with changing exhibitions.
Updated 21 October 2026
The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo opened in 2013 after a long campaign - Lima had gone decades without a dedicated contemporary art museum - in a modern low building set in gardens on the edge of Barranco. Its permanent holdings centre on Peruvian and Latin American art from the mid-twentieth century onwards, including work by Fernando de Szyszlo, Jorge Eduardo Eielson and others of the generation that took Andean forms into abstraction, and the programme is mainly temporary exhibitions of contemporary Peruvian and international work. The sculpture garden and open lawns are used for installations and events. It is small by international standards and the collection is modest, but it fills a real gap, and it combines naturally with the Pedro de Osma museum and a walk through Barranco. What is showing at any time varies considerably.
History
The museum grew out of the Institute of Contemporary Art, opened in 1955 at the Galería de Lima with José Sabogal and Fernando de Szyszlo present, and plans for a museum began in 1981. Designed by Frederick Cooper Llosa on land given by the Municipality of Barranco, it was inaugurated in January 2013 on the site of the old Barranco Zoo and lake, closed in 1970 (Wikipedia, Museum of Contemporary Art of Lima).
Highlights
- The temporary programme - changing contemporary exhibitions, the main draw.
- The collection - Peruvian and Latin American work from the mid-twentieth century.
- The garden - lawns and sculpture around the low modern building.
- The gap it filled - Lima's first dedicated contemporary art museum, from 2013.
When to go
Year-round. One to two hours. Closed Mondays. Check what is currently on - the permanent display is small and exhibitions are the reason to go.
Good to know
Small, and if the temporary exhibition does not appeal there is not much else. The permanent collection is modest. Signage is largely in Spanish. Ticket price is high for the scale.
Nearby
The Pedro de Osma museum is close; the Barranco square and Bridge of Sighs are south.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q20021894, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for MAC Lima
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A refillable water bottle - Many cities have public fountains; save money and plastic. Find on Amazon
- A light layer + compact umbrella - For museum air-con and a sudden shower. Find on Amazon
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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
