La Moneda Palace
Palacio de La Moneda
Chile's presidential palace, a neoclassical building from 1805 and the site of the 1973 bombing during the coup, where you can watch the changing of the guard
La Moneda Palace was originally a colonial-era mint, designed by Italian-born architect Joaquín Toesca. It has served as the presidential palace since 1846. On 11 September 1973, during the military coup, it was bombed by the air force, and President Salvador Allende died inside. A statue of him stands in the Plaza de la Constitución on the south side.
The guard changing ceremony in front of the palace usually takes place at 10:00 a.m. on alternate days. Free guided tours of the interior courtyards can be booked in advance on the official website. The underground La Moneda Cultural Centre often hosts large exhibitions and has a shop selling Chilean handicrafts.
Getting there: take metro Line 1 to La Moneda station.
Opening hours
Exterior open all day; interior visits require advance booking on the official website
Nearby sights
- Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art
- Plaza de Armas & Metropolitan Cathedral
- Church of San Francisco
- Palacio Cousiño
- Mercado Central de Santiago
- Cerro Santa Lucía
- National Museum of Fine Arts
- La Vega Central