The park was built on the site of the former Lima city wall fortifications.
The MALI building is a historic monument originally known as the Palace of the Exhibition.
It hosted the 1872 Lima International Exhibition, which was the first major international expo in South America.
The park contains a Byzantine-style kiosk and a Moorish-style pavilion dating back to the 19th century.
The onsite Japanese Garden was donated by the Japanese community to commemorate the centennial of Japanese immigration to Peru.
Parque de la Exposición is a historic public park in central Lima, originally inaugurated in 1872 for the International Exhibition. It serves as a major cultural hub housing the Lima Art Museum (MALI) and the Metropolitan Museum of Lima. The grounds feature neo-Renaissance architecture, a Japanese garden, an amphitheater, and a central artificial lake. Its layout incorporates diverse pavilions left over from the 19th-century world fair, blending botanical collections with formal European-style landscape design. The park functions as a major venue for public events, concerts, and craft fairs. It is currently managed under the municipal park authority of Lima.
The wooden bridge overlooking the central pond with the MALI building in the background.
Visit during the weekdays to avoid the significantly larger crowds that occupy the park on weekends.
Bring a light jacket as the Lima mist, known as garúa, can make the park damp even when it is not raining.
Check the local municipal events calendar, as the park frequently hosts festivals that may restrict access to certain walking paths.
Do not wander outside the park's main perimeter fences after dark as the surrounding area transitions into a transit-heavy zone.
Casual, respectful of common public park guidelines; refrain from picking flowers or climbing on historic statuary.
