The Machu Picchu Museum of Casa Concha was built on the palace of the Inca Túpac Yupanqui.It exhibits hundreds of artifacts taken by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911. These objects were returned to Peru in 2011. Today, this small but fascinating museum is one of the best options before your trip to Machu Picchu.

• What is Casa Concha?
• Where is the Casa Concha museum?
• How is the permanent exhibition in the Casa Concha museum?
  • Hiram Bingham Collection
  • UNSAAC Collection
  • Collection of the Casa Concha
• The objects found in Machu Picchu
• The mysteries of Machu Picchu
• Visiting hours
• Rates
• More information about the museums of Cusco

In 1912, the Yale University of the United States brought the objects of Machu Picchu for study and exhibition.In 2003, the Peruvian government initiates the procedures for the return of the objects.In 2011, the Inca objects are returned for exhibition and study at the Casa Concha Museum.

What is Casa Concha?

• Casa Concha is a beautiful example of Andean residential architecture during the early years of the Spanish conquest.
• The house was built on the bases of the Inca palace Tupac Yupanqui (son and successor of the famous Inca Pachacutec, the builder of Machu Picchu).
• It has a total area of ​​2,373 m2.It is identified as its first owner to José Santiago Concha y Salvatierra, an important Creole magistrate during the viceroyalty.
• Its current configuration and characteristics date back to the colony (18th century) and it is considered the national patrimony of Peru.
• Its construction began in 1710. It has murals, baroque-style balconies, wood carvings, platforms, pools, and a series of rooms (up to 16) open to the public.

Main Courtyard of the Casa Concha Museum.

Where is the Casa Concha museum?

• The museum is located on Calle Santa Catalina Ancha 320, very close to the Plaza de Armas of Cusco in Peru.

You can contact the Casa Concha museum in the following media:

• +51 (084) 255535.
• E-mail: museocasaconcha@unsaac.edu.pe.

How is the permanent exhibition in the Casa Concha museum?

• Among the more than 360 pieces there are ceramic objects, lithics, tumis (knives), ribbons, tweezers, mirrors, aríbalos and construction tools.
• The permanent exhibition is divided into 3 collections: a) Hiram Bingham collection, b) UNSAAC collection and c) Casa Concha collection.

Hiram Bingham Collection

• The Hiram Bingham collection has several colored photos of the expedition made by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in Machu Picchu (1911).
• The exhibition also includes didactic models of the excavation process in Machu Picchu as well as interactive videos.
• However, the greatest importance of the Hiram Bingham collection are the numerous ceramic, lithic and metal objects such as the famous knife or ‘tumi’.
• The exhibition also includes bone remains (a male between 23 and 25 years old).

UNSAAC Collection

• The collection provided by the National University San Antonio Abad of Cusco (UNSAAC) includes objects found in Casa Concha, the ancient palace of the Inca Túpac Yupanqui.
• Some rooms on the upper floors are also conditioned for the research of students and people interested in Machu Picchu.

Collection of the Casa Concha

• The Casa Concha collection is an exhibition of architecture and riches within the famous house where the museum is located.
• The exhibition includes a collection of paintings from the colonial era as well as sculptures and characteristic pieces of the Viceroyalty.

Ceramic House Concha Museum

The objects found in Machu Picchu

• Yale University in the United States took around 100 years to return the objects extracted from Machu Picchu during the excavations.
• The Inca objects returned are: ceramics, lithic pieces, metal pieces, decorative objects and bone remains.
• In total 366 Inca objects of good quality were returned and are already on display.In addition there are other pieces that serve for the investigations on the style of life of the Incas of Machu Picchu.
• Currently, most of the objects can be seen in the Casa Concha Museum.

The mysteries of Machu Picchu

• The Casa Concha museum offers an excellent view of life in the Inca city of Machu Picchu.However, there are still many questions to be discovered.
• After the investigations it was concluded that Machu Picchu was built and occupied between 1450 and 1540, before being mysteriously abandoned.
• Some objects found in Machu Picchu have the characteristics of distant regions of northern Peru.This would show that the Inca City played a more important role than simply being the resting place of the Inca ruler.
• The skeletons found in Machu Picchu do not reveal signs of hard work or violence, so life there must have been calm.In addition there were people dedicated to the basic activities such as: cooking, cleaning and weaving.The elite devoted itself to religious worship.

The Casa Concha Museum has more than 366 Inca objects found in Machu Picchu.The ticket is purchased directly at the entrance door of the museum.There are prices for foreigners, Peruvians and students.The citizens of Cusco enter for free.

Visiting hours

• Machu Picchu Museum of Casa Concha remains open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm
• The Casa Concha Museum does not attend on Sundays.

Rates

• The entrance ticket to the Casa Concha Museum is purchased directly at the door of the house.

These are the prices:

More information about the museums of Cusco

• The museum opened its doors on November 10, 2011. After one year it had already reached 70 thousand visits.
• It took 5 ships and 2 planes to repatriate the collection of objects from the United States to Peru.The transfer cost around 1 million dollars.
• A part of the objects returned to Peru by Yale University can be found in the Machu Picchu Site Museum ‘Manuel Chávez Ballón’.
• Some of the museums that you can also visit in Cusco are: the Inca Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Pre-Columbian Art Museum, the Coricancha Museum, the Cathedral Museum and much more.

Advice from people who have been there

Museum House Concha

By: Tatty O.

“Place you should know“

“The museum is in a beautiful house is one of the places that you must visit in Cusco, to better understand the Inca culture in Machu Picchu. I was impressed with the remains that you can appreciate, it is a wonderful place.“

By Ticket Machu Picchu – Last updated, August 15, 2024