Museo Alberto Mena Caamano (Alberto Mena Caamano Museum ), Quito

The Alberto Mena Caamaño Museum (Museo Alberto Mena Caamano) is a significant cultural institution located in the city of Quito. Established in 1957, it was created by an ordinance that donated over 600 objects, including paintings, sculptures, archaeological pieces, weapons, and other miscellaneous items, to the Municipality of Quito by the philanthropist and aristocrat Alberto Mena Caamaño. After restoring the objects and adapting the building of the old Royal Headquarters of Lima to house them, the museum opened its doors to the public on November 3, 1959.

The museum's collection grew over the years through private donations and purchases made by the capital's council, and currently comprises 5,819 pieces. Among these objects is a thematic room dedicated to the massacre of August 2, 1810, which features wax figures by the artist Francisco Barbieri, based on a painting titled "The sacrifice of Quiroga" by César Villacrés from the beginning of the 20th century. As a result of this exhibit, the museum became popularly known as the Wax Museum.

In addition to the original donations by Mena Caamaño, the museum's current offerings include a permanent exhibition entitled "From Quito to Ecuador (1736-1830)" and four temporary exhibition halls. It also features the "Hugo Alemán" auditorium and various recreational-educational spaces. The museum's dependency is both administrative and economic from the Metropolitan Cultural Center.