Museo Zoológico Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga, museum in Montevideo, Uruguay
The Museo Zoológico Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga is a natural history museum in Montevideo displaying collections of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates from Uruguay. The building was once a prison and now houses a large natural science library and an extensive botanical collection.
Collections began in 1837 when Larrañaga started gathering specimens, but the museum was officially founded in 1956. The conversion of the former prison into a space for science and education marks a major shift in how the building serves the community.
The museum is named after a 19th-century naturalist who pioneered the systematic study of Uruguay's wildlife and plants. The collection reflects how nature shapes local identity and helps visitors understand the different habitats that exist across the country.
The museum is housed in a distinctive historical building that is easily accessible and offers regular guided tours and educational workshops. Visitors should allow time to explore the different exhibition areas since the collection is quite extensive.
The botanical collection holds over 80,000 plant specimens documenting the range of Uruguayan vegetation from earlier times to today. This collection is one of the most extensive of its kind and reveals how the country's plant life has changed over time.
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