Stepping inside the Casa Concha Museum offers your family an intimate, immersive look at Inca heritage right in the heart of Cusco. Housed within a beautifully restored seventeenth-century aristocratic mansion built atop the palace of Inca Tupac Yupanqui, this cultural treasure holds the world's largest collection of artifacts returned from Yale University after Hiram Bingham’s excavation of Machu Picchu. As you wander through its courtyard and airy exhibition halls, you will encounter hundreds of authentic objects, including stone tools, intricate ceramics, delicate metalwork, and ancient textiles that bring daily life in the royal citadel into sharp focus. Interactive touchscreens, informative English displays, and detailed scale models explain how Inca stonemasons constructed incredible mountain fortresses without mortar. Children and adults alike will love seeing actual tools used by ancient artisans alongside fascinating archaeological discoveries. Visiting this museum before your journey to Machu Picchu provides vital historical context that makes seeing the actual ruins far more meaningful and rewarding. With its calm atmosphere, well-curated exhibits, and central location just blocks from the main square, it is an essential, highly educational pit stop for travelers of all ages eager to unlock Peru's ancient secrets.
What to see at Casa Concha Museum
- Artifacts returned from Yale University
- Interactive displays on Machu Picchu construction
- Restored colonial mansion built over Inca ruins
- Exhibits on ancient Incan daily life
Visiting tips
Visit this museum before heading to Machu Picchu to gain valuable context for your trip.
How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Morning
How to get there & what’s nearby
Casa Concha Museum is easy to reach on Cusco’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Sacsayhuamán and Qorikancha. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Cusco travel guide.
See the full Cusco travel guide for where to stay, the best time to visit and the top things to do.