Cementerio Presbítero Maestro
Peru's oldest cemetery, inaugurated in 1808 as the first civil burial ground in the Americas and now a museum of neoclassical funerary art.
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Share a photoHistory & haunting lore
Established to end the unsanitary practice of burying the dead beneath Lima's churches, the cemetery was designed by priest-architect Matías Maestro and became the resting place of Peruvian presidents, war heroes, and literary figures, including the Crypt of the Heroes honoring casualties of the War of the Pacific. It was elevated to museum status in 1999.
The cemetery now offers nighttime tours that blend its documented history with local legends of ghostly encounters among the mausoleums, a tradition the site's own guided tours lean into for atmosphere while grounding the experience in real history.
Current site status
Open for daytime visits and scheduled nocturnal guided tours managed by the Sociedad de Beneficencia de Lima.