National Museum of Art, La Paz 🇧🇴

Located right in front of Plaza Murillo at the intersection of Calle Comercio and Calle Socabaya, the National Museum of Art (Palacio Diez de Medina) offers a rich journey through Bolivia's artistic heritage. You will find this historic treasure housed inside a stunning three-level building that once served as the private residence of Mayor Don Francisco Tadeo Diez de Medina y Vidango, later owned by the Counts of Arana and the Marquises of Villaverde, before operating as the famous Gisbert hotel.

Adapted into a museum in 1964, the palace retains two inner courtyards and showcases impressive architecture, including a carved stone façade decorated with baroque motifs, a prominent corner stone column, and an ornate stone balcony. Inside, you can explore an important permanent collection of colonial and republican paintings, featuring canvases by renowned artists like Melchor Pérez de Holguín and Gregorio Gamarra.

Highlights of the collection include masterpiece works such as the 1720 Virgin of the Hill, the 1723 Virgin of Fuencisla, Gregorio Gamarra's Child Jesus with symbols of the Passion, and Gaspar Miguel de Berrío's Coronation of the Virgin. Beyond historic masterpieces, you can also admire Bolivian, Latin American, and international contemporary art, including creations by Spanish artist Javier de Villota.

What to see at National Museum of Art, La Paz

• Carved stone façade decorated with baroque motifs across three levels
• Corner stone column and stone balcony at Comercio and Socabaya streets
• Colonial paintings by Melchor Pérez de Holguín and Gregorio Gamarra
• Notable historic works including Virgin of the Hill (1720) and Virgin of Fuencisla (1723)
• Contemporary art pieces by Bolivian, Latin American, and international artists

Visiting tips

Enter the museum via its main entrance located on Socabaya Street right off Plaza Murillo.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Morning

How to get there & what’s nearby

National Museum of Art, La Paz is easy to reach on La Paz’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Basilica of San Francisco, La Paz, Bolivia. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our La Paz travel guide.