El Museo del Barrio possesses an extremely varied, 8,000-object collection of Caribbean and Latin American art, unique in the Eastern region of the United States. The works range from pre-Columbian vessels to contemporary installations.

Pre-Columbian Collection
These holdings feature approximately 2000 domestic and ceremonial objects from the pre-Columbian cultures of the Caribbean including the Igneris, Caribs, and Taíno. The Taíno collection is the second largest in the United States.

Traditional Arts
These 900 objects, secular and religious, includes musical instruments, miniature houses, dolls, nativity scenes, and masks from Chile, Brazil, Peru, Haiti, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The outstanding santos de palo collection is of national significance. It includes 360 santos [carved wooden saints used for household devotions], primarily from Puerto Rico.

Works on Paper
Because of the importance of the printmaking medium in Latin America, El Museo has acquired a superb collection of approximately 3000 works on paper. El Museo's Puerto Rican collection documents the distinguished history of print, and poster-making on the island from the 1940s to the present. These materials are a unique national resource.

Paintings:
This collection includes over 500 works by leading artists over the last century.

Sculpture and Installations
Representing various generations and exemplifying trends from the last 30 years, these works include abstract wood sculptures from the 1970s by Raul Farco, assemblages from the 1960s and 1970s by Marcos Dimas and Jorge Soto, and installations by Antonio Martorell and Pepon Osorio.