A typical 18th-century colonial house, the Casa Colorada was home to the Governor prior to independence and later to Chile's first president, Mateo de Toro. Today it houses a museum charting the history of the city of Santiago de Chile.
The collection covers the history of the city from the pre-Hispanic ages to the urban developments of the 19th century. Exhibits on display cover a broad range of subjects including literature, anthropology, sociology, economy, photography, art and architecture. There is also a library devoted to the history of the city.