The museum was founded in 1812 at the initiative of Bernardino Rivadavia, making it the oldest scientific institution in the country.
It is home to one of the most important collections of meteorites in South America, including the 'Otumpa' iron meteorite weighing over 600 kilograms.
The collection includes specimens gathered by Charles Darwin during his historic travels in the region.
The paleontological wing contains the holotype of the Giganotosaurus carolinii, one of the largest terrestrial carnivores ever discovered.
It houses an extensive collection of over 40,000 birds and significant botanical samples documenting regional flora.
The building was designed specifically as a museum, featuring a central atrium that provides natural light to the main galleries.
The Bernardino Rivadavia Museum of Natural Science, known as MACN, is the oldest museum in Argentina and a major research center under the CONICET framework. It houses a vast collection covering geology, botany, zoology, and paleontology, with a significant emphasis on Argentine fossil discoveries. The museum building, inaugurated in the 1930s, features monumental architecture and expansive halls dedicated to local biodiversity. Notable displays include reconstructed dinosaur skeletons found in Patagonia, such as the Giganotosaurus. Visitors can explore permanent exhibits ranging from mineralogy and meteorites to marine life and entomology. The institution serves as both a public exhibition space and a site for active scientific study.
The base of the massive Giganotosaurus skeleton in the paleontology hall.
Prioritize the paleontological hall, as it houses the museum's most famous and impressive displays.
Look for the smaller, less-crowded display cases in the geology section to see rare mineral specimens.
Visit on a weekday to avoid school groups and larger crowds that frequent the museum on weekends.
Do not overlook the specialized entomology and malacology galleries, which are often skipped by tourists focusing only on the dinosaurs.
Open daily; check official website for updates on holiday closures.
