National Library of Chile

The building in front of you is so elegant that it could be mistaken for the Fine Arts Museum, but it’s actually the National Library of Chile, one of the first institutions founded by the new Republic in 1813. Inside, you’ll find the Medina Room, home to over 35,000 works, including the country’s most valuable bibliographic collection and one of Latin America’s richest archives of 19th-century colonial texts. The library also holds 29 incunabula, which are books printed before the 16th century—true treasures of the literary world. It’s still a functioning public library, and access is free, so feel free to step inside and take a look around.