Leleque Museum

To the rescue of Patagonian History

Apart from the museum’s careful collection, its surroundings are one of its most striking characteristics.

It is not located in the midst of any town or a city, but buried deep in the heart of a landscape of which the museum gives testimony. These are almost the same surroundings that the Natives saw centuries ago. The Leleque Historical Museum is located in the steppe, 100 meters away from the rails of the Trochita steam train and at the foot of the Andes.

In 1998, scientists and researchers from the entire Patagonia were present at the inauguration of the museum. In order to do so, they had to travel from Esquel (the nearest locality) to Benetton’s estate, where the museum is situated. Indeed, the Benetton Group S.A., the Compañía Tierras de Sud Argentino S.A. (Argentine Southern Land Company), and the Ameghino Foundation made contributions to carry out the project.

This original museum is in the middle of the steppe, inside a private estate, near the Andes.

The museum has four rooms. The first one is dedicated to original peoples. There, exhibits include the reproduction of an Indian tent, objects of daily use and the procedures used are also explained. The second room explores the first contacts between Native cultures and white people.

The third room focuses on the presence of the State in Patagonian territory, the adoption of capitalism and the disputes over the control of land. The last room goes through the social transformations that affected Patagonian society as immigrants from new ethnic groups arrived. Chilean, Lebanese, Italian, Spanish, Welsh, and American people, each of them with their own habits and customs, forged an identity for this territory during the first half of the twentieth century.

In the annexed building of the museum one can visit “El Boliche”, a reproduction of those general stores that were typical at the beginning of 20th century.

El boliche is also part of the museum

To get to the museum, one must take Route 40. If coming from El Bolsón, one has to go southwards. But if coming from Esquel, northwards. At kilometer 1440, a dust road towards the East must be taken.

Distance to Esquel: 90 km.
Distance to El Bolsón: 80 km.
Distance to Bariloche: 180 km

Opening hours: 11am to 5 pm. Wednesdays closed.

Leleque museum is closed during May and June.

See Also
Gateway to the Andes in Chubut		La Trochita: A unique tourist train
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in Patagonia		San Rafael Glacier: A brief escape from Esquel to Chile
Leleque Museum