Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos

Since it opened in 2010, the remarkable, controversial Memory and Human Rights Museum has shone the light on the difficult and fractious history of the Pinochet years from 1973-1990. Pinochet came to power in a bloody military coup that stormed the government palace and led to the death of then-president Salvador Allende. During his 17 years in power, all opposition was systematically oppressed, dissidents were persecuted and more than 3,000 Chileans were "disappeared."  The museum's displays are mostly multimedia recreations of key moments, including film and radio, newspaper clippings and personal writings, and can be difficult to take in emotionally and require quite a bit of reading, but they are also moving and inspiring. Perhaps most significant of all is Chile's ability to look so closely at its dark past and learn from it. The superb English-language audio guide is a must for non-Spanish speakers. It is northwest of the city center, close to the University of Santiago.