Museo de Historia Natural de Valparaíso

The museum was created in 1878 by the distinguished educator Eduardo de la Barra, who with that futuristic vision possessed by the authentic masters, creates with his students, in two rooms of the Men's High School of Valparaíso, a small museum, the second oldest in Chile and the first, regional. Already in the year 1879, it counted on a scientific library of 300 volumes of classic works, of natural sciences and anthropology and an interesting collection of species of flora and fauna collected or donated by the Buenosairean society.

The violent earthquake that struck Valparaíso in 1906 and the subsequent fire that destroyed the lyceum, unfortunately irreparably affected the valuable collections that the museum had managed to accumulate.

In 1914, the museum was reorganized again, thanks to the support of illustrious citizens of Valparaíso, who donated important collections and scientific works for their library. John Juger Silver, was one of its first directors and its most enthusiastic promoter.

Due to the lack of a building of its own, the museum must periodically change its headquarters, occupying premises on Great Britain Avenue and the former Sea Fair, on Playa Ancha; a small house in Viña del Mar and finally, on November 15, 1988, thanks to a Comodato agreed between the Directorate of Libraries, Archives and Museums (Dibam), and the Illustrious Municipality of Valparaíso, the museum is reopened in the Lyon Palace , which together with allowing its return to its city of origin, highlights this beautiful building declared a Historical Monument in 1979. The current renewable Comodato allows it to function until the year 2032.