ESMA Museum and Site of Memory – Former Clandestine Center of Detention, Torture and Extermination, Memorial museum in Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Museo Sitio de Memoria ESMA is housed in a former Naval School building in Buenos Aires that functioned as a clandestine detention center during military rule from 1976 to 1983. The structure contains the actual rooms and areas where thousands of people were held, all arranged as they existed during that time.

The former Officers' Casino of the Navy Mechanics School became one of Argentina's largest clandestine detention, torture and extermination centers under the 1976-1983 civic-military dictatorship. The building has been judicial evidence since 1998, and the museum was inaugurated on 19 May 2015 by decree 1133 of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. In 2023 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The museum occupies the former Officers' Casino, where the exhibition rooms keep the names used in the clandestine center, such as Capucha, Capuchita, Pecera and Los Jorges. Reproductions of prisoners' objects are displayed, including the only letter a pregnant detainee managed to send with her baby and the shackles a prisoner carried out after release.

The museum is located in the northwestern zone of Buenos Aires and is accessible by public transportation or taxi. Plan to spend 2 to 3 hours for a complete visit, and taking a guided tour is strongly recommended to understand the historical context more fully.

The building maintains its status as judicial evidence in ongoing court proceedings, meaning some areas may be closed to visitors at times. This legal distinction makes it a living monument that continues to serve the pursuit of justice.