In 1996, Pablo Korschenewski, a Russian citizen and ancient inhabitant of Patagonia, made a decision and informed the anthropologist Rodolfo Casamiquela, his friend and Patagonia expert, about it. He wanted to create an institute-archive that would narrate Patagonia's history starting from the period of the indigenous inhabitants.

Korschenewski had for years collected archaeological material originating above all from Santa Cruz province. Now that his health was failing, he decided to donate his collections to Fondazione Ameghino, a non-profit organisation promoting scientific research and regional culture, which Casamiquela himself had headed for twenty years.

After making an inventory and handing over the collections (thousands of lithic pieces), Korschenewski told his partner that Carlo Benetton - who had a great passion for Patagonia and had been interested in the project for some years - would be visiting. Benetton paid a short visit; he was accompanied by Benetton Group's head of communications in Argentina, Josefina Braun, who had handled communications between the men. Influenced by her southern-Patagonian roots, the young woman was the determining originator of the operation don Pablo had dreamed about.

It all started with the four of them having a conversation in Korschenewski's house in Puerto Madryn, where he kept his collections and whose decorated facade caused it to be called the "house of the painted hands". Some three years later, two associated institutions were founded: the Scientific Research Centre "Patagonian Man and his environment" and the Leleque Museum. Gradually, and thanks to the prestige gained from the first exhibition, the Museum has achieved great national and international prominence.