Museum Manuel Chavez Ballón

Museum Manuel Chavez Ballón is a museum at the foot of the mountain which houses the world famous Inca city of Machu Picchu.

History of the Museum Manuel Chavez Ballón

The museum is named after the explorer, Manuel Chavez Ballón, and was created in the mid-late 20th century.

Museum Manuel Chavez Ballón today

Museum Manuel Chavez Ballón is dedicated to exploring the Inca civilisation and houses an expansive collection of artefacts found at Machu Picchu including household items, artwork and religious objects. Some of the most interesting objects at the Museum Manuel Chavez Ballón are the construction materials and tools, which form one of seven of the museum’s sections.

Information is displayed in both English and Spanish, and is extremely comprehensive. It’s worth stopping here before or after a tour of Machu Picchu to really get a sense of context and to fully appreciate the feats of engineering and architecture needed to construct the mountaintop retreat.

The museum is open daily, and has the blessed relief of air-con. Look out for the botanical garden stuffed with orchids, and beware the steep steps needed to get down there.

Getting to Museum Manuel Chavez Ballón

The museum is next to Puente Ruinas, at the base of the footpath to Machu Picchu. It’s a 40 minute walk from Aguas Calientes – follow signs to Machu Picchu, and eventually the trail splits in two. Stick to the right for the museum – left takes you to the site itself.

You can also hope on a shuttle bus if time is of the essence.