Take Me There®: Peru Media Kit

We started by gathering feedback from staff and visitors. We wanted to know what countries people were interested in and what they wanted to learn about those places. The museum then looked at its organizational goals, its strategic plan, and the relationships we have here in Indianapolis that could help us connect with people in those countries. We learned from them that Peru has three distinct geographic and cultural regions: the Andes Mountains, the Amazon rainforest, and the coast, where capital city Lima is located.

A Spanish-speaking country was appealing because it aligned with our overarching goals, fit well with our Latino Community Initiative – our ongoing effort to better serve our Latino visitors – and we hadn’t featured a country from South America in our series yet! After two years of research and development, we are thrilled to open Peru!

With bags in tow and passports in hand, a museum group representing interpretation, collections, and exhibit development and design flew to Lima in December 2023 for 10 days. Their goal was to research and experience first-hand the traditions and ways of life in the mountains, rainforest, and city and coast.  

This included visiting schools to see how they differed from each other depending on their location. They also spent time with the Barriga family to learn how they lived, worked, and played, and sampled delicious fresh juice at the Barrigas’ favorite market. 

In the rainforest, museum staff participated in a real scientific research project on moths and spotted capybaras on the shore while gliding down the Tambopata River. They fed baby alpacas and learned the various steps in the weaving process, an important part of daily life for many people in the mountains. 

Everywhere they went, they noted the pre-Incan and Incan influences on modern-day architecture, language, arts, and agricultural practices. At the end of each day, the group gathered to reflect on what they saw and did and started making an initial list of possible exhibit interactives, ideas and object displays to design Take Me There®: Peru.

Alpacas and llamas are both members of the camelid family, but they have distinct differences. Alpacas are smaller, with a more delicate frame and a soft, fine fleece. The average height of an alpaca is about 32–39 inches tall at the shoulder. Llamas, on the other hand, are larger and sturdier—often used as pack animals due to their size and strength. Their wool is also much coarser than alpacas. In Peru, alpacas hold significant cultural and economic value, as their wool is an important part of the country's textile industry. Alpacas are native to Peru and make up the majority of the world’s alpaca population with over 80% of them living in the Peruvian Andes!

We’re excited to open Take Me There®: Peru to the public on July 12!