Ex-Presidio & Museo Maritimo

Ex-Prison & Maritime Museum of Ushuaia - darkometer rating : 5 - Ushuaia 's premier sight is also its main sight from a dark tourism perspective: the ex-presidio (former prison) which now houses the "museo maritimo" (maritime museum). That name, however, only covers a small part of the exhibitions, so it is a bit misleading. Most of the museum is actually about the prison itself, penitentiary facilities in general, and about all manner of other aspects ranging from early colonialism in Argentina 's Tierra del Fuego and Antarctic explorers to the "Conflicto Islas Malvinas" ( Falklands War ). > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos More background info: Ushuaia owes much of its very first lease of life to the fact that it was chosen as a remote penal colony in the late 19th century, and in 1902 the construction of the present building was begun. It was the result of a merger of an earlier military prison and a prison for repeat offenders. By 1920, its five cell-block wings, or "pavilions", which branch out from a central hall (a classic type of prison design – cf. Eastern State Penitentiary ), were finished. These had a total of 386 cells, all intended for single occupancy. But at peak times the prison population was closer to 600. Most inmates were criminals sentenced to long terms or life for murder or other such serious crimes, but there were also political prisoners. The prisoners had to do all manner of work – including not least the construction of the prison itself and its surrounding workshop buildings.