Today we visited the Ushuaia Maritime and Jail Museums both housed within the old prison of Ushuaia.
It was really interesting and you got your money’s worth since it was about five or six museums in one. Each floor of each wing of the prison had a different exhibition.
The maritime museum was all about the ships, pirates and explorers that sailed in these oceans close to Ushuaia.
The most famous of these ships are ‘The Romanche’ and ‘The Beagle’.
Models of the Romanche and Beagle ships.
The other really interesting exhibition was about the prison itself. It gave information about prison life early last century and profiles some of the criminals that were jailed there including the serial murderer Little Big Ears. Many of the worse criminals in Argentina were transferred here to this desolate land.
There were also stories about attempted escapes many of which ended in the escapee coming back to the prison because of lack of food and warmth after they had escaped.
One of the wings in Ushuaia’s prison. The cells either side now contain information on different aspects of life of the old prison.
The museum is really well laid out. You walk down the prison wings and each prison cell has a different display.
Bananaman getting into his prison bed.
The other exhibitions in the other wings included art galleries, wildlife displays, information about the oil drilling off these shores and an exhibit on the history of the town of Ushuaia.
That last picure looks like me going to bed in the travel lodge in Chelmsford!