Museo Histórico Nacional — Attraction in Autonomous City of Buenos Aires

The Museum proposes a journey through the cultures of the original peoples, the time of the conquest and the establishment of the colonial order, the May Revolution, the Buenos Aires society in 1810 and the crossing of the Andes, among other outstanding episodes of Argentine history .

Thus, for example, the historic flag is shown that in 1812 accompanied Manuel Belgrano in the battles of Upper Peru, and that many years later was found behind a painting in a parish in Macha, Bolivia. It had been hidden by the army of Belgrano to preserve it from the enemies - along with another white one with a celestial fringe called the Flag of Sucre - and was found by a parish priest while cleaning his chapel. In 1896, the Bolivian government ceded the Flag of Macha to the Argentine National Historical Museum, where it has been exhibited ever since.

Another of the pieces of enormous historical value exhibited by the Museum is the corvo saber of José de San Martín, considered a symbol of South American emancipation since he accompanied the Liberator in the struggles for independence. Among the collections of paintings, the oil paintings of the painter Cándido López stand out, which have great artistic and testimonial value because they record the battles of the War of the Triple Alliance, of which the artist also participated as a soldier.

The collection is completed with various documents, paintings and historical objects among which stand out a cigar maker that belonged to Mariano Moreno, a national coat of arms painted on iron, which was on the portal of the Assembly of Year XIII,...

The institution was established as the Museo Histórico de la Capital (Historical Museum of the Capital) by Mayor Francisco Seeber on May 24, 1889.

The museum resulted from a proposal by historian Adolfo Carranza, who was designated director of the museum upon its inauguration on February 15, 1891. The museum was initially located on government property located at 3951 Santa Fe Avenue(now occupied by the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden). It was relocated to its present location in the San Telmo ward after the land's purchase by the Municipality of Buenos Aires in 1897. The land later occupied by the Botanical Garden was thus transferred to the municipal government, and the museum to the national government.

The mansion was originally built for the American businessman Charles Ridgley Horne in 1846. Allied to the paramount Governor of Buenos Aires, Juan Manuel de Rosas, Ridgley Horne was forced into exile after the strongman's 1852 overthrow, and the land was sold to José Gregorio Lezama. Following his 1894 death, his widow, Ángela Álzaga de Lezama sold the property to the city, which converted the mansion into the museum, and most of the surrounding land...

A mixed experience, but worth a visit.

Let’s start with the collection: while it’s not among the strongest in the city, there are still a few must-see pieces — especially the flag returned to Argentina from France in 1997 by then-President Jacques Chirac, and several personal belongings of General San Martín and Manuel Belgrano. However, some of the displays suffer from poor-quality digital printing and feel a bit neglected.

As for the museum shop, it could definitely be improved. The prices are high, the selection is limited, and the quality is not great — quite underwhelming for a national museum.

That said, the staff were incredibly kind and helpful — from the front desk to the security personnel and the shop assistants. The restrooms were spotless, and after your visit, the museum garden is a lovely place to relax for 15–20 minutes. A calm and enjoyable spot, despite its...