The National Museum of Natural History, in Santiago's Quinta Normal park, was Chile's most visited state museum in 2025, with 889,059 visits, according to the official report of the National Museums Sub-directorate. It was followed by the National Museum of Fine Arts, with 567,475, and the National History Museum, with 325,605. Together the three accounted for 63.6% of the 2,800,545 visits received during the year by the 26 museums of the National Cultural Heritage Service (Serpat).
*Updated on 26 October 2026.* The data come from the report Públicos en los museos del Servicio Nacional del Patrimonio Cultural 2025 (Audiences at the museums of the National Cultural Heritage Service 2025), published in February 2026 by the Studies Area of the National Museums Sub-directorate. It is a ranking of the public museums run by Serpat: it does not include private, university or municipal museums, or those of other institutions, such as the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, the Museum of Memory and Human Rights or the Museum of Contemporary Art.
The 10 most visited museums in Chile in 2025
| # | Museum | City | Visits 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Museum of Natural History | Santiago | 889,059 |
| 2 | National Museum of Fine Arts | Santiago | 567,475 |
| 3 | National History Museum | Santiago | 325,605 |
| 4 | Niebla Castle Site Museum | Niebla (Valdivia) | 244,631 |
| 5 | Gabriela Mistral Museum | Vicuña | 138,240 |
| 6 | La Serena Archaeological Museum | La Serena | 109,896 |
| 7 | Valparaíso Natural History Museum | Valparaíso | 83,348 |
| 8 | Concepción Natural History Museum | Concepción | 82,547 |
| 9 | Gabriela Mistral Museum of Education | Santiago | 42,153 |
| 10 | Regional Museum of La Araucanía | Temuco | 39,103 |
Source: National Museums Sub-directorate, Serpat, table "Visits 2020-2025, by year and by museum" in the 2025 audiences report. Visits are recorded attendances: a person who goes twice counts twice.
Why the National Museum of Natural History tops Chile's most visited museums
The National Museum of Natural History received almost a third of all visits to Serpat museums (31.7%). The report itself explains that the gap between the three national museums and the 23 regional and specialised ones "is explained by the number of visits received at the National Museum of Natural History". Entry is free and it stands in the Quinta Normal, a park with several museums and easy metro access, which makes it a regular outing for families and schools.
The National Museum of Fine Arts, in Parque Forestal, is second, and the National History Museum, on the Plaza de Armas, third. All three are a few metro stops apart; our guide to things to do in Santiago de Chile includes them in a walk around the centre.
| Type of museum | Museums | Visits 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| National museums (Natural History, Fine Arts and National History) | 3 | 1,782,139 |
| Regional and specialised museums | 23 | 1,018,406 |
| Total Serpat | 26 | 2,800,545 |
Source: National Museums Sub-directorate, 2025 audiences report. The months with the most visits were January (336,125), February (319,908) and May (318,250), the latter because of Heritage Day.
The most visited museums in Chile outside Santiago
Outside the capital, the most visited museum is the Niebla Castle Site Museum, on the Valdivia coast, with 244,631 visits: a 17th-century Spanish fort above the river mouth, visited together with the Niebla waterfront. We describe it in our guide to things to do in Valdivia. Next come the Gabriela Mistral Museum in Vicuña, a must-stop in the Elqui Valley, and the La Serena Archaeological Museum, which in 2025 exceeded 100,000 visits for the first time, according to the report.
| # | Museum | City | Visits 2025 | Visits 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | O'Higginian and Fine Arts Museum | Talca | 36,493 | 32,931 |
| 12 | Regional Museum of Aysén | Coyhaique | 36,173 | 28,490 |
| 13 | Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna Museum | Santiago | 33,739 | 20,130 |
| 14 | Regional Museum of Ancud | Ancud | 33,523 | 38,622 |
| 15 | Regional Museum of Rancagua | Rancagua | 33,022 | 28,611 |
| 16 | Gabriel González Videla Historical Museum | La Serena | 31,187 | 23,288 |
| 17 | Museum of Decorative Arts and Dominican History | Santiago | 15,232 | 3,071 |
| 18 | Linares Museum of Art and Crafts | Linares | 14,663 | 10,017 |
| 19 | Regional Museum of Antofagasta | Antofagasta | 13,604 | 28,497 |
| 20 | Limarí Museum | Ovalle | 12,197 | 16,102 |
| 21 | Yerbas Buenas Historical Museum | Yerbas Buenas | 10,008 | 5,722 |
| 22 | Yagan Usi Territorial Museum | Puerto Williams | 6,120 | 5,564 |
| 23 | Cañete Mapuche Museum | Cañete | 1,618 | 288 |
| 24 | Regional Museum of Atacama | Copiapó | 496 | 803 |
| 25 | Regional Museum of Magallanes | Punta Arenas | 413 | 632 |
| 26 | Father Sebastián Englert Anthropological Museum | Hanga Roa (Rapa Nui) | 0 (closed) | 21,473 |
Source: National Museums Sub-directorate, 2025 audiences report. According to the report, the regional museums of Magallanes and Atacama were closed for some months of the year, and the Sebastián Englert Anthropological Museum, on Rapa Nui, was closed throughout 2025. If you are travelling to the island, check our guide to Rapa Nui first.
Which museums grew and which fell in 2025
| Museum | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Museum of Natural History | 460,605 | 889,059 | +93.0% |
| Regional Museum of La Araucanía | 9,251 | 39,103 | +322.7% |
| La Serena Archaeological Museum | 81,171 | 109,896 | +35.4% |
| Concepción Natural History Museum | 61,229 | 82,547 | +34.8% |
| Valparaíso Natural History Museum | 105,270 | 83,348 | -20.8% |
| Regional Museum of Antofagasta | 28,497 | 13,604 | -52.3% |
Changes: Viajando Chile calculation using the report's table by museum. Beware of an inconsistency in the report itself: using the table by museum, the total rises from 2,174,048 visits in 2024 to 2,800,545 in 2025 (+28.8%), but the report's text speaks of a 22% increase; and for the National Museum of Natural History the text states +48%, while the table gives +93%. The 2025 figures match throughout the document; comparisons with 2024 should be read with that caution.
The report highlights that visits to Serpat museums rose for the fourth year in a row and that 2025's are among the highest of the last 15 years, "surpassed only by those reached in 2019".
Do you run a museum, a cultural centre or a heritage tour? Reach travellers planning what to visit in Chile.
See advertising optionsHow to read this ranking of Chile's museums
- State museums only: these are the 26 museums of the National Cultural Heritage Service. Very popular museums run by foundations, universities or municipalities are not on the list.
- Visits, not people: the report counts attendances; someone who goes twice counts twice.
- Closures: a museum closed for part of the year shows few visits even if it is a major attraction, like the Sebastián Englert Museum on Rapa Nui.
- More rankings: the busiest parks are in our ranking of Chile's most visited national parks, and the country's records in Chile's natural records.
How to cite this data
Viajando Chile (2026). *Most visited museums in Chile in 2025: the official ranking of the 26 state museums*. With data from the National Museums Sub-directorate of the National Cultural Heritage Service. https://viajandochile.com/en/news/most-visited-museums-in-chile-2025-ranking
Frequently asked questions
What is the most visited museum in Chile?
Among state museums, Santiago's National Museum of Natural History, with 889,059 visits in 2025, according to the National Museums Sub-directorate.
How many people visited state museums in 2025?
The 26 Serpat museums recorded 2,800,545 visits in 2025: 1,782,139 at the three national museums and 1,018,406 at the regional and specialised ones.
What is the most visited museum outside Santiago?
The Niebla Castle Site Museum, in Valdivia, with 244,631 visits in 2025.
Do state museums charge admission?
The National Museum of Natural History has free entry. Each museum's conditions may change, so check its official website before going.
