Address: Alsina 412 – Monserrat
This museum preserves the history of the city, and it is devoted to researching, perpetuating and spreading the life of Porteños through the retelling of their customs revealed by their personal everyday life items. It organizes different activities in pursue of such objective, like courses and conferences for whoever is interested. It performs a very important investigation and consulting task, and attempts to the preservation of the historic and architecture heritage by saving certain objects that play as symbols of the past life. It has a library on Buenos Aires, and an eclectic collection of things like floor tiles, iron bars, furniture, pictures, architecture items, or even a button or a postcard as a living testimony of the way of living of Porteños.
The building is a 19th century construction with clear French and Italian influence, and a shop on the ground floor where the pharmacy “La Estrella” functions. It maintains the same furniture from the early 1900s, and belongs to the Museum, although it carries on with its commercial activity. The administrative office is on the first floor.
The building is part of a set of units of great historic and patrimonial value, together with the homes that once belonged to the Elorriaga family and María Josefa Ezcurra, from 1812 and 1830 respectively. These are now under restoration in order to be opened as museums as well.
In 1970, due to the effort of the architect José Maria Peña, director and creator of the museum, the San Telmo antiques Fair was started, taking place every Sunday, and involving over 250 stands. Peña is also attributed the Art Fair that takes place on Fridays and Sundays in San Francisco Square, where painters, sculptors and photographers converge in order to put their works on display.
This museum opens everyday from 10pm to 8pm for visitors. It provides general access to the library as well.
