Ecuador

10 Best Museums in Ecuador

If museums are your reason to travel, this is Ecuador sorted for you.

Ranked by traveler review volume across 94 tracked places in Ecuador. Updated monthly.

  1. La Capilla del Hombre

    Museum · Quito

    La Capilla del Hombre is a purpose-built art museum in the Bellavista neighborhood of Quito, Ecuador, dedicated to the peoples of Latin America.

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  2. Casa del Alabado Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

    Museum · Quito

    Casa del Alabado is a Pre-Columbian art museum in Quito, housed in a 17th-century colonial building.

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  3. Museo Antropologico y de Arte Contemporaneo

    Museum · Guayaquil

    Museo Antropologico y de Arte Contemporaneo (MAAC) is a cultural gem in Guayaquil's Las Peñas neighborhood.

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  4. Biblioteca Municipal de Guayaquil

    Museum · Guayaquil

    Biblioteca Municipal de Guayaquil is a historic library that doubles as a cultural museum, located in the city's old center.

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  5. National Museum of Ecuador

    Museum · Quito

    The National Museum of Ecuador, located in Quito's Casa de la Cultura, holds the country's most extensive collection of archaeological treasures, including ceramics, textiles, and metalwork from cultures like Valdivia, Manteño, and Inca.

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  6. Centro Cultural Metropolitano

    Museum · Quito

    Centro Cultural Metropolitano occupies the former Royal Audiencia building, a historic structure that once housed the Spanish colonial government.

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  7. Luis Adolfo Noboa Naranjo Museum

    Museum · Guayaquil

    The Luis Adolfo Noboa Naranjo Museum is housed in a beautifully restored early 20th-century mansion in central Guayaquil.

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  8. Guayaquil Municipal Museum

    Museum · Guayaquil

    The Guayaquil Municipal Museum offers a deep dive into the city's rich history and cultural heritage.

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  9. Presley Norton Museum

    Museum · Guayaquil

    The Presley Norton Museum houses an extensive collection of artifacts from Ecuador's pre-Columbian coastal civilizations, including the Valdivia, Machalilla, and Chorrera cultures.

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  10. Art Cuenca

    Museum · Cuenca

    Art Cuenca is a vibrant contemporary art museum located at the intersection of Simon Bolivar and Miguel Heredia in the heart of Cuenca, Ecuador.

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Good to know

What is the best-known of the museums in Ecuador?

La Capilla del Hombre in Quito is the most reviewed, with 903 traveler reviews and a 4.3 rating. That makes it the safe choice if you are only fitting in one.

Which of Ecuador's museums is worth going out of your way for?

Casa del Alabado Museum of Pre-Columbian Art in Quito rates highest at 4.7 out of 5 across 834 reviews. Smaller crowds than the headline entry usually explain the gap.

Which city in Ecuador has the most museums?

Guayaquil, with 5 on this list, ahead of Quito on 4. The list spans 3 cities in total, capped at three per city so one big city cannot crowd out the rest of the country.

How is this list of museums ranked?

By how many travelers reviewed each place, filtered to those rated well enough to be worth your time, drawn from 94 tracked places in Ecuador. No one pays to appear on it, and the order is refreshed monthly as new reviews land.

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