This aesthetic-looking building was constructed between 1804 and 1807 by Jose Goycolea, a student of prominent architect Joaquín Toesca, and was originally intended as a palace for the Real Audiencia (a sort of local admin office of the Spanish Crown). However, this was short lived, and not long after the first Government assembly was held here, initiating Chile’s independence from Spain. This was also the site of the first sittings held by the National Congress, and the great liberator himself, General Bernard O’Higgins, had an office in the building. Although over the course of time numerous alterations have been made to the structure, the original façade is still in place in what is now considered a national monument. Home to the National Historical Museum since 1911, it houses a collection related to different periods and famous personalities in the history of Chile, from pre-Colombian times right up to the 1970s. There is also a section dedicated to numismatics (money, coins and medals). Admission: Monday to Saturday: Adults CLP600, under-eighteens CLP300; Sunday: entrance is free.