2 Best Sights in Santiago, Chile

Chile's once-mighty railroads have been relegated to history, but this acre of Parque Quinta Normal keeps the memory alive. Sixteen steam locomotives and four passenger coaches are set within quiet gardens with placards in Spanish and English. You can board several of the trains. Among the collection is one of the locomotives used on the old cross-Andes railway to Argentina, which operated between Chile and Argentina from 1910 until 1971. Guided tours are available.

The Fashion Museum, opened in 2007 by a son of Jorge Yarur Banna, one of Chile's most successful textile barons, hosts small but choice exhibitions mostly featuring women's dresses that date to the 1600s. Housed in the Yarur family's former home, designed by Chilean architects in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1960s, the museum offers a fascinating insight into the lifestyle of the Chilean oligarchy in the run-up to the upheaval of Salvador Allende's socialist government and the ensuing military coup. The main rooms feature original furnishings, while the pink 1958 Ford Thunderbird driven by Yarur's wife is parked in a courtyard.

Call before visiting; the museum can close for up to two months between exhibitions.

El Garage café, open daily, serves light meals and snacks at reasonable prices.