Parque Geopaleontológico Proyecto Dino(instagram.com/geoparqueproyectodino), the paleontology site on Lago Barreales, has tours in which you can enter the lab, see active excavations and even touch a dinosaur bone. Held twice daily, at 9am and 4pm, and by reservation only (WhatsApp +54-9299-674-1597), the two-hour tour is led by a paleontologist; English option is available.
In the first part of the tour, participants see how bones get cast, extracted and later cleaned and analyzed, by going to dig sites and then the small lab. The second part consists of a guided walk through the museum which contains both real bones and stunning replicas, including part of the replicated skeleton of a Futalognkosaurus dukei, one of the largest dinosaurs ever found. A real raptor claw and a few eggs can be seen encased in glass, and the guide shares local dinosaur discovery stories.
Take sunblock, water and a hat. Also bring your passport – there is a security check midway down the road to the site that requires government-issued ID. While most visitors only come for the day, it’s possible to volunteer doing cooking and cleaning to stay in the basic dorms.