We almost missed this little museum, but I'm so glad we decided to pop in! Museums in Argentina…read moretend to be smallish but also really affordable - adult admission here is AR$15, or about USD$1.50. How can you go wrong? This natural science museum grew out of the personal collection of Jeronimo Lavagna, and has has several homes over the decades before finally selling in its current modern building. The circular exhibit space takes up three floors, connected by a ramp, and is roughly chronologically arranged. I like gems and minerals, so I enjoyed the geology section, which has samples of minerals from Argentina and around the world, as well as some replicas of famous gems. There are other fossils besides the one in the entryway, and a highlight is the animatronic sabre-toothed cat skull that roars at you on the top floor. There's also some really fantastically bad taxidermy, clearly done long ago by someone who maybe had never seen the original animal alive. STRONGLY recommended if you're a bad taxidermy/novelty taxidermy buff. This kid-friendly museum takes about an hour to go through and doesn't necessarily require knowledge of Spanish to enjoy, so tourists needn't be intimidated. I wouldn't plan a day around getting to this museum, but if you're doing the museum circuit nearby like Palacio Ferreyra and the Caraffa, by all means stop here on your way home.

One thing I liked about art museums in Argentina is that they tended not to be enormous,…read moreLouvre-sized all-day slogfests (and priced accordingly high). The biggest thing about the Museo Superior de Bellas Artes Evita Palacio Ferreyra is its name! You can spend a couple of hours here, see it all, and not have to devote an entire day. In fact, I suggest you get the combined ticket that also gets you into the Caraffa -- not because it's such a huge savings, but because they're very close to each other, manageably sized, and you'll still have time to do other things. Quick history lesson: the Palacio is an early-20th-century mansion built for Dr. Martín Ferreyra, a prominent local surgeon as well the owner of limestone quarries and the then-biggest lime factory in Argentina. The mansion was expropriated by the governor in 2005 and subjected to a controversial renovation that some feel ruined the historic building. Although it was subsequently renamed the Evita Fine Arts Museum, it really doesn't have any connection to Evita Peron, nor should it be confused with the Museo Evita in Buenos Aires. With that background in mind, you can appreciate the lavish grandeur of the main staircase in the central lobby, and the eye-popping green lattice trim in the Winter Garden gallery. Even if you don't want to eat in the museum cafe, you should peek in and admire the elaborate carved and painted details on the walls and ceilings (some of which you can see in photos here). The collection focuses on Argentine and South American artists. Apparently they have a Picasso and Goya, but I don't remember seeing those on our visit. In addition to their permanent exhibition, there are also temporary exhibitions and a photographic exhibit on the history and remodel of the building itself. There was no gift shop that I saw, but there is a bar/restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Overall, while there might not be world-class art masterpieces here, it's an interesting local landmark worth visiting for the building as well as the art collection. I wouldn't call it a must-see for every visitor, but art and architecture lovers would enjoy spending a couple of hours at the Palacio Ferreyra.

Just so we're clear, I wasn't expecting the Paris Catacombs here. I'd done some research and knew…read morethat this was a small museum without a lot of exhibits, so my expectations were managed. Even so, we were kind of surprised by how little there was to see here. Many reviews mention that the entrance is hard to find, but we didn't think it was that difficult -- however, it's important to note that you'll be looking for a gate in the middle of the sidewalk with stairs leading down (like a subway station), not a building. There are actually two entrances and we found the closed, chained one first -- the actual entrance will have a green museum sign, as pictured. Once you go downstairs, you're pretty much right there. There is an open area off to one side with a series of vaulted stone arches, and you can walk through the empty room looking at the layers of stone and brick that made up the foundations. But you won't find any gravestones, plaques, or artifacts, let alone any grisly skeletal displays -- it's literally an empty room. It looks as though the central area is left open so that they can have musical performances, and one of the entrances seemed to have a program of upcoming choral and classical music events, which is probably a neat experience. Strangely, it looks like the crypt used to have a lot more as far as signs, exhibits, art, and artifacts. If you look up the circa-2011 YouTube video tour by Susana Provenza, you'll see plenty of explanatory signs and displays around the crypt, but none of those were there when we visited. Honestly, watching this video might be as much of a visit as you need, because it doesn't look like that today. Admission is inexpensive and their bathrooms are acceptable, so if you feel like spending a couple of bucks for a quick rest stop, the crypt won't take up much time. But don't feel bad if you don't get around to seeing this "museum."