Its permanent and travelling exhibitions focus on the fossil remains of fauna and flora of Patagonia, and the changes that affected the region over geological time.

MEF is one of Argentina's main scientific institutions, with a robust research program in areas including vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology, paleobotany, and ichnology, and has a group focusing on plants in semi-desert environments.

The exhibition also offers a view into MEF's largest, state-of-the-art preparation laboratory, where fossils are carefully cleaned and separated from the rock encasing them.

In 2014, a team of paleontologists from the museum excavated the remains in Patagonia of seven specimens of a titanosaur, Patagotitan mayorum, the largest dinosaur ever found.

Some recent examples include: MEF scientists visit schools and advise teachers and students on related educational projects.