Dating from 1921, this museum is in an old mansion of the neocolonial Peruvian style that developed as a reaction against French influences in turn-of-the-19th-century Argentine architecture. Its exceptional collection of colonial art includes silverwork from Alto Perú (present-day Bolivia), religious paintings and baroque instruments (including a Guarneri violin). The curved ceiling in the main salon is beautifully painted, and there’s also a peaceful garden.
Also known as the Palacio Noel, after the designing architect, the museum building and its collections suffered damage (since repaired) from the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy, which at the time was located at Arroyo and Suipacha. The space where the embassy was located has since become a small memorial park; you can still see the outline of the building on a neighboring wall.
The museum has an annex in the Congreso neighborhood at Hipólito Yirogoyen 1420 (open noon to 6pm Tuesday to Friday and 11am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday), the main strength of which is an antique doll collection.
