The museum was opened on the 25th of October 1979 founded with donations of some of the most important and significant art collectors in Peru like Mildred Merino de Zela, Mariano Benítes and Gertrud de Solari to name a few. At the moment the museum displays around 7000 art objects which all were collected with dedication and expertise. The quality and uniqueness of the collections not only attract ethnologist and historians but as well everybody interested in popular art. Without a doubt the museum offers a beautiful ethnic collection of Peru. One of the main exhibits are masks. But you will find traditional costumes, ceramics, carvings, paintings and much more to admire as well.

The exhibits of the museum are not only shown in the ‘Museo de Artes y Tradiciones Populares’. In collaboration with different lectureships, companies and cultural groups selected pieces are displayed in other museums and cultural centres in Lima, in Peru and abroad. The museum publishes as well a magazine named ‘Wifala’, a series about Peruvian art and ethnology and publications which deal with traditional art and folklore.

Probably the most special and unique collection momentarily is the ‘Colección de la Sucesión Jiménez Borja’ (bequest - collection). It contains masks, traditional costumes from different regions, vessels, music instruments and canvas.

The museum displays as well the ‘Colleción Elvira Luza’ that was bought in the forties of the last century. It comprises more than 600 exceptionable pieces like ceramics, altar works, saint’s pictures, carvings, naive paintings, engraved and chiseled vessels, wooden toys and tin plate works. Thanks to the collaboration with PROMPERU this collection could be preserved.

The ’Colección Doris Gibson’ consists of ecclesiastical altar works which were created by well know artists from Cusco like Santiago Rojas and the Mendívil family. The most outstanding work of this collection is probably the representation of Christ together with more than one thousand persons from Hilario and Georgina Mendívil.

Only recently the collection of Dr. Guillermo Ugarte Chamorro was given to the museum. Dr. Guillermo Ugarte Chamorro was an important intellectual with brilliant contacts to the art scene. The collection has more than 2000 pieces mainly containing masks, postcard and stamp.