Cmasi · CC BY-SA 4.0Museo al aire libre Ruedas Pioneras
A park at Filadelfia's east entrance with the settlers' first vehicles: the "Laurita" locomotive, the Mennonite cart and more.
What it is
Ruedas Pioneras ("Pioneer Wheels") is an open-air museum honouring the transport the first settlers used during the Chaco's isolated years. On display are the alzaprima (a heavy log-hauling cart), the "Laurita" locomotive, the Mennonite cart, a buggy, a Farmall M tractor and a grader, each marking a different stage of communication and development in the region. Set outdoors at the eastern entrance to town, it is an easy stop to stretch your legs, take photos and grasp how hard it once was to cross the bush.
What to see and do
- "Laurita" locomotive
- Mennonite cart, buggy and alzaprima
- Farmall M tractor and grader
Did you know…?
The "Laurita" locomotive is one of the park's centrepieces.
Wikipedia cites this park as the place where the first locomotive used in the Paraguayan Chaco is displayed.
Tips
- It is an open park: stop on your way into or out of town.
- Use the afternoon light for photos.
Check hours before you go.
Best time: Morning or late afternoon, avoiding the summer midday heat.
Activities
Festivals and events here
Nearby
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Museo Hogareño Knelsenhaus
A 1948 house turned into a Mennonite home museum, with furniture and utensils of the Chaco's first settler families.
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Museo Casa de la Colonia (Koloniehaus)
A 1933-1934 building raised by communal effort: it was the administrative seat of the Fernheim colony and is now its history museum.
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Museo Industrial de Filadelfia
Agricultural and industrial machinery inside the Fernheim plant, with the 1957 refinery building as its centrepiece.
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Filadelfia (Colonia Fernheim)
The Mennonite capital of the Chaco: wide streets, pioneer and cooperative museums, and the best base for exploring the region.
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Museo Científico Jakob Unger
A Chaco natural history museum with birds, mammals, insects and Indigenous objects, grown from the collection of Jakob Unger and his son.
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Fortín Trébol
A park and cemetery for fallen Chaco War soldiers, about 5 km from Filadelfia; it supported Fortín Toledo's right flank.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.