In the southern part of the city of Antofagasta is a huge imposing stone building that at first glance can be mistaken for the ancient structure of the Incas. However, the structure of only 125 years and is one of the largest factories in South America for the processing of silver, built in 1888 on the American model of the plant. The plant started operation in 1892, compounded into day 200 tons of rock brought from the silver mines of Pulacayo and APIPA (Bolivia). But from an economic point of view, obtained 3, 85 tons of silver every month was not enough for normal operation of the company. In 1902, the company ceased operations due to lower product prices of silver on the world market, and also due to the outdated technology of production existing at the shipyard.

Later, some of the buildings of the plant passed into the possession of the Chilean army, the other part was transferred to the Chilean Treasury. In 1964, the territory with destroyed buildings of the former factory was transferred North to the University. In 1974, the ruins of Huanchaca were declared a historical monument of Chile.

Today this place is a Park of culture Hanchak and the Museo del Desierto de Atacama (MDA), built by the architect Ramon After all, Marco Polidura, Eugenia Soto and the iñaki Volante. In the Museum building area of 2200 square meters is located five exhibition halls, a conference hall, offices, warehouses and laboratories for research, as well as a café and gift shop.

The Museum has collections of Geology and paleontology. You can visit the permanent exhibitions. Among them – "Mountain house" talks about the evolution of tools used in the early twentieth century in the mining industry. The exhibition "Window to the universe" was opened with support from the European southern Observatory (ESO); the special panels you can see how born the first of the galaxy, what dark matter is and how you can grow a "black hole". The permanent exhibition also tells the story of the cities of the region of Antofagasta.

But before entering the Museum is located "a stone Garden", where you can see samples of rocks and minerals of Northern Chile, on the other side of the entrance is the exhibition with samples of spherical and flat limestone rocks with marine fossils, brought from the desert of Atacama.

Also on the territory of the ruins of a small amphitheater where concerts and shows, and opposite the national monument in 2006, opened their doors casino.

Currently, the cultural Park Hanchak is one of the popular places among tourists when visiting Antofagasta.