Museum of Natural History

Here we are! Welcome to the National Museum of Natural History, the oldest scientific institution in Uruguay and a fascinating corner that keeps many stories to tell. A trip through time: History This museum was born by decree in September 1837 and officially opened its doors on July 18, 1838. Its first headquarters was in the old Governor's House, near the current Plaza Zabala. For more than a century, after several moves, the museum found its home in the facilities of the Solís Theater. However, at the beginning of the 21st century it went through a period of dispersion where its valuable collections had to change location on more than one occasion, even leaving it without public exhibition rooms for almost two decades. The present: A rebirth in Miguelete Today we find ourselves in its final headquarters, inaugurated in 2018 on the exact same day of its 180th anniversary. The building that surrounds us is part of the Miguelete Cultural Center, the site of the old Miguelete Prison, a 19th century architectural work designed by Juan Alberto Capurro. In this reconditioned and modern space, the museum not only reopened its doors to visitors with free access, but also houses more than 400,000 pieces between botany, paleontology and zoology. In addition, its specialized library has some 200,000 volumes, positioning itself as a reference center…

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