After the great earthquake of 1906 destroyed much of Valparaíso, wealthy families built grand new homes in Viña del Mar. The most complete survivor is the Palacio Rioja, completed around 1910 for the Spanish banker Fernando Rioja Medel, in a French-influenced neoclassical style with a grand staircase and white façade.
Bought by the city in the 1950s, it now houses the Museo de Artes Decorativas: the ground floor keeps the family’s original furniture, paintings, chandeliers and wall coverings, giving a rare picture of how Chile’s Belle Époque elite actually lived. The surrounding park is one of the quietest green spaces in the city.
Top things to do at Palacio Rioja
Tour the period rooms
Ballroom, dining room, bedrooms and salons with their original contents — the kind of interior that was lost almost everywhere else to earthquakes and redevelopment.
Relax in the gardens
The park around the palace is open to the public and a good place to sit in the shade between sights.
Catch a concert
The palace is also used for chamber concerts and cultural events; check the municipal cultural agenda.
How to get to Palacio Rioja
- On foot: the palace is on Calle Quillota, a few minutes’ walk from Plaza Vergara and close to the Quinta Vergara.
- By train: about ten minutes’ walk from Viña del Mar station.
Insider tips
- Museum hours vary and it usually closes one day a week; check before visiting.
- Allow 45 minutes for the house and more if you want to sit in the park.
- Photography rules inside can vary — ask at the entrance.
Best tours & tickets for Palacio Rioja
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Palacio Rioja, from Viña del Mar or on a day trip from Santiago:
Private tour · per group from €352 per group Valparaíso and Viña del Mar: Private Tour from Santiago de Chile
The comfortable way to see the coast from Santiago: a private vehicle and guide, with the itinerary shaped around what you want to see. Priced per group, so good value for two or three people.
- Private car and guide from your Santiago hotel
- Valparaíso and Viña del Mar at your own pace
- Price per group of up to three
Day trip from €54 From Santiago: Highlights of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar
A long-running highlights tour with hundreds of reviews that focuses on the two cities rather than wine. Good if you would rather have more time in Valparaíso.
- The historic quarter and hills of Valparaíso
- Viña del Mar’s Flower Clock, beaches and Wulff Castle
- Optional visit to Neruda’s La Sebastiana
