Museo Nacional del Ecuador

Part of the modern Casa de la Cultura complex, this national museum presents the archaeology, art, and history of Ecuador under one roof. Its archaeology hall displays ceramics, gold objects, and figurines from coastal and highland cultures spanning thousands of years, including celebrated Valdivia figurines. Additional galleries cover colonial religious painting and republican-era art. Set beside a major park in central Quito, it traces the country's identity from its earliest peoples through independence.