National Museum of Fine Arts

The National Museum of Fine Arts is a national art museum in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires that displays paintings, sculptures, and drawings from several centuries. The collection fills more than thirty exhibition rooms spread over multiple floors of a former municipal waterworks building.

The museum opened in 1896 at a first location on Florida Street and later moved twice before settling in 1933 into the old waterworks in Recoleta. Renovations transformed the industrial hall into an art gallery with natural light through the tall windows.

Paintings by Argentine artists such as Prilidiano Pueyrredón and Xul Solar hang in rooms alongside canvases from Europe and Asia. Visitors see works that show how art in Latin America developed through the 19th and 20th centuries.

Admission is free and the building opens on weekdays in late morning and on weekends in the morning. Several outdoor terraces offer space to rest between gallery visits.

A specialized library inside the building holds tens of thousands of books on art history and technique for researchers and curious visitors. The outdoor terraces display bronze sculptures and stone works under open sky next to the Recoleta parks.

Location: Buenos Aires

Inception: December 25, 1896

Architects: Alejandro Bustillo

Official opening: December 25, 1896

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible

Fee: We-Fr 11:00-18:45; Sa-Su 10:00-18:45

Charge: $AR0/residents); $AR200/non-residents);

Operator: Dirección Nacional de Museos

Address: Avenida del Libertador 1473, Buenos Aires

Opening Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11:00-20:00; Saturday-Sunday 10:00-20:00

Phone: +541152889900

Email: libreria@aamnba.org.ar

Website: https://bellasartes.gob.ar

GPS coordinates: -34.58399,-58.39297

Latest update: December 19, 2025 22:09