Maritime Museum and Former Prison

The Maritime Museum of Ushuaia is located in what was once the Presidio of Tierra del Fuego, a prison for repeat offenders that once housed the country’s most notorious criminals. The prison closed in 1947 and was declared a national historic monument by Congress in 1997. It is now home to the Maritime Museum within Ushuaia’s naval base.

With its collection of ship models, the history of Tierra del Fuego is presented with a focus on sea life, that is, taking the point of view of people who live by the sea. The island of Tierra del Fuego and the archipelago that surrounds it, in addition to Islas Malvinas, Georgia Islands and Antarctica, are all intertwined with the sea.

You can visit the cell blocks of the jail, some of which have been restored to give you an idea of what life was like for prisoners, and don’t miss the Historic Wing, which has been left in the condition it was in when the jail was closed.