Buenos Aires Belgrano

Casa De Yrurtia. This madhouse of a museum is packed with works by early 20th-century Argentine sculptor Rogelio Yrurtia and his second wife, the daughter of his mentor, painter Lía Correa Morales. After studying in Europe, where he came under the influence of Rodin and acquired the Picasso painting hanging in the first room, Yrurtia returned to Buenos Aires to begin his career as an artist and settled in this building with Morales for nearly twenty years. The mustard-trimmed house was converted into a museum in 1949, though with all of the naked bodies lunging out at odd angles, it feels like walking into a studio that could still be in use today. Frequently commissioned to produce works for the city, Yrurtia’s museum displays the models he used to create the sculpture of Bernardino Rivadavia in Plaza Miserere, Justicia in the Palacia de la Justicia, and Monumento a Manuel Dorrego, at Suipacha and Viamonte. In the back, there is a small garden with a fine sculpture of two boxers frozen in time. (O’Higgins 290. S Juramento. Bus 60, 107, 114. ☎4781 0385; www.casadeyrurtia.gov.ar. Captions in Spanish. Open Tu-F 1-7pm, Su 3-7pm. Guided tours Tu-F 3pm, Su 4pm. AR$3.)

Banco Fundación Francés. This neocolonial building, built on a plot of land expropriated from Juan Manuel de Rosas , one of Argentina’s first (of many) military dictators, was the home of Belgrano’s founder, Valentín Alsina, in the early 19th century. After passing through other hands, it most notably became a small museum, located on the first floor of a restored mansion, which houses a collection of works by one of Argentina’s foremost contemporary artists, 20th-century sculptor and painter Libero Badii. Italian-born, Badii moved to Argentina at the age of 11 and eventually started his career as a sculptor, using the stone-cutting techniques he picked up from his father, who was a funerary carver. The young artist quickly won international acclaim (even in the United States, where his 1965 bronze sculpture, Phoenix, now sits in the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.). In the 1980s, Badii turned his focus to painting, producing a series of colorful pieces featuring angled figures and popping eyes. While the works are well-displayed, labels are scarce. The museum is perfect for a quick stop if you’re in the neighborhood, but it isn’t worth a significant detour. The front door is often locked, so ring the bell and see if anyone is around. Even if you come during the supposed “opening hours,” there’s a chance it will be closed—try calling ahead to double check or to arrange a visit. (11 de Septiembre 1990. ☎4784 8650 or 4783 3819. Open M-F 10am-6pm. Free.)

Museo Histórico Sarmiento. Though it pales in comparison to the Casa Rosada, this beige, Neo-Renaissance building on the Plaza Belgrano also served as the headquarters of the national government—if only for two short weeks more than a century ago. Now it houses a museum devoted to the legacy of thick-jowled Domingo Sarmiento , a political and intellectual giant whose shadow continues to hover over Argentina today. His list of accomplishments is long and varied. He led the resistance against Juan Manuel de Rosas, one of Argentina’s early caudillos (military dictators), in part through his famous work of creative non-fiction, Facundo: Civilization and Barbarism, a book that critiqued the dictator. As the seventh president of Argentina (1868-1874), Sarmiento also supported public education and the expansion of parks as means of civilizing Latin American society, which he considered backward after a trip to the United States. Among his other achievements, Sarmiento wrote a biography of Abraham Lincoln and conducted Argentina’s first national census. Talk about a modern day Renaissance Man. Exhibits include old photographs, some of his belongings, including furniture and china, and the first editions of some of his books, including Facundo. Though the captions are mostly in Spanish, they are more extensive than those found in other museums. Fortunately, Sarmiento’s life was fascinating enough to speak for itself. (Juramento 2180. S Juramento. ☎4782 2354 or 4781 2989; www.museosarmiento.gov.ar. Open M-F and Su 1-5:30pm; Dec.-Mar. closed Su. AR$1, Th free. Guided tours Su 4pm.)

Balvanera

Museo Casa Carlos Gardel. Just blocks from the Abasto shopping center is the former residence of Argentina’s (and perhaps the world’s) most famous tango crooner, Carlos Gardel . The townhouse, which Gardel purchased in 1927 for himself and his mother, has been lovingly restored and now hosts exhibits on Gardel and his life as well as photos of the building as it was when Gardel lived there. The displays, composed mainly of old photos, tango memorabilia, musical scores, and Gardel’s personal effects, receive little explanation, however, and may only interest diehard tango fans and the interested aspiring crooner. (Jean Jaures 735. S Carlos Gardel. ☎4964 2015. Some English captions. Open M and W-F 11am-6pm, Sa-Su 10am-7pm. AR$3, local residents AR$1, W free.)

Caballito

Museo Argentino De Ciencias Naturales (Natural Sciences Museum Of Argentina). In the northwestern corner of the Parque del Centenario , Argentina’s natural sciences museum draws people of all ages to its exhibits on the past and current flora and fauna of Argentina. Receiving a much-needed facelift at the time of publication, many of the older, mustier exhibits are being replaced by sleeker, educational displays aimed mainly at children, though there is plenty here to tempt the interested adult (or child-at-heart) as well. The first floor houses a miniature aquarium, but the real draw is the paleontology exhibit, which includes a number of mid-sized dinosaur skeletons discovered in Argentina. Still, you should at least walk through the other rooms; don’t miss the giant clam in the mollusks exhibit or massive shell of the extinct giant armadillo in the high-quality ancient mammal exhibit. Upstairs, the focus is mainly on the current flora and fauna of Argentina (and elsewhere), including plenty of stuffed mammals and preserved spiders. Be forewarned, however; the captions (in Spanish) are very limited, and you probably won’t learn much about what you’re seeing, impressive as some of it is. (Ángel Gallardo 480. S Ángel Gallardo. ☎4982 4791; www.macn.gov.ar. Open daily 2-7pm. AR$6.)

Boedo And San Cristóbal

Museo Del Banco Ciudad “Monte De Piedad”. Perhaps Boedo’s only official sight, this museum chronicles the history of the Banco Ciudad. Founded as the “Monte de Piedad” in 1878, the bank originally aimed to lend money at fair rates to Buenos Aires’ exploding immigrant population, and, along with the requisite, somewhat boring collection of old bank documents and teller windows, the museum also hosts small exhibits on immigrant life, including a recreated conventillo, or tenement. There’s also a recreation of the leftist Cafe Biarritz that once held the spot the bank now occupies and that drew a number of famous Argentine artists. On the way out, be sure to check out the bank bannister smashed during the 2001 economic crash, or the photos of the subsequent riots. Everyone who visits (and there aren’t too many) is given a personalized tour in Spanish, which makes it easy to see whatever particularly interests you. (Av. Boedo 870, 2nd fl. S Boedo. ☎4931 8204. Open M-F 10am-5pm. Free.)