Pumapungo Museum
Photo: TEATRO PUMAPUNGO — CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pumapungo Museum in Cuenca, Ecuador, showcases ethnographic and art collections, including traditional costumes, artifacts, and archaeological exhibits.
Planning your visit
Pumapungo is both a museum and an archaeological site. The Inca built Tomebamba here in the late fifteenth century, intended as a second Cusco, and the Spanish dismantled it for building stone — but the terraces, foundations and water channels survive on the riverbank below the museum, with a restored garden of native plants and an aviary of rescued birds.
The ethnographic collection upstairs is the strongest element, covering Ecuador's Indigenous peoples region by region: Amazonian material including Shuar shrunken heads, Andean textiles and dress, coastal cultures, and the Afro-Ecuadorian communities of Esmeraldas.
The archaeology covers the Cañari, who occupied the region before the Inca conquered them, and whose resistance features in the later civil war between Atahualpa and Huáscar.
Cuenca is a UNESCO-listed colonial city. Admission is generally free. Allow two hours. Bookable options include guided tours. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is Pumapungo Museum?
Pumapungo Museum is in Cuenca, Ecuador. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Pumapungo Museum?
Allow two hours. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Pumapungo Museum in advance?
Guided tours run to a fixed schedule and small group sizes, so they are usually booked ahead.