A friend and I decided to visit this museum while visiting Buenos Aires around New Years. Unfortunately, many of the "main" attractions had limited hours or were closed and so we consulted our trusty Lonely Planet book for ideas. Buried in the Buenos Aires chapter, this museum was listed as one of the more "offbeat" options in the city. We pulled up the website and sent an email inquiring about English tours during the holidays. We were pleasantly surprised to get a prompt reply from the museum stating that there would be one English guided tour. With that, it became part of our itinerary for our day.
We lucked out with a fantastic tour guide, Enrique. He was full of very interesting knowledge about the house and its history. Additionally, he shared some very unique perspective about the neighborhood, the accidental discovery of the cisterns, the restoration, and the efforts of the owner in his investment in the space. The interior space has been lovingly restored (can't imagine how much has been put into the place), as it is visually stunning inside.
The tour lasts about an hour, but it goes by quickly. You get a chance to see the cisterns of another era and learn about how much the city of Buenos Aires (and the San Telmo neighborhood) have changed as the city has grown. There are also wonderful artistic depictions of how much has changed, so these drawings provide wonderful context.
If you're looking for an opportunity to explore another neighborhood in Buenos Aires and learn about the history of the city from a unique perspective, then I would encourage you to add this museum to your list of attractions. read more