[3] Operated by the National Institute of Archaeology, a specialized agency of the Deputy Minister of Culture, it is said to be the most prominent museum in Bolivia.

In June 1846, in the presence of General José Ballivián, a small collection was started in a room in the Municipal Theatre.

The theatre was located on Calle Genaro Sanjinés in La Paz and named the "Public Museum"; Dr. Manuel Cordova was its first director.

It also houses the collections of Bishop Indaburu and Colonel Diez de Medina, in addition to items from recent archaeological excavations.

Tiwanaku (which is predated to the Inca period) is the Pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia, which is traced to early 1500 BC.