Londres 38, Memorial site in downtown Santiago, Chile
Londres 38 is a former detention center in downtown Santiago that now operates as a memorial site. The building contains exhibitions with prisoner testimonies, photographs, and documents from that period.
The building operated as a secret interrogation center under the National Intelligence Directorate from 1973 to 1974. More than 1,000 political prisoners were held and questioned there during this period.
The site allows visitors to contemplate the country's military past and the meaning of human rights through its displays and programs. People gather here to remember those who suffered and to understand how such events shape society.
Plan ahead to book a guided tour, as entry is by tour only and this ensures you get complete information about the site. Tours provide detailed accounts of what occurred and the building's layout.
Prisoners called the place the Palace of Laughter because they heard church bells from the nearby San Francisco Church during their confinement. The name reveals how people found small moments of hope amid terrible suffering.
GPS coordinates: -33.44426,-70.64816
Latest update: January 13, 2026 22:42
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