Nacional Museum of Fine Arts

It was raining in Buenos Aires on Thursday, November 20, so we looked for an indoor activity near our hotel in Retiro. That search led us to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, which holds one of the most impressive art collections in Latin America. The museum features major works by Goya, Rembrandt, Rodin, Van Gogh, Manet, and Chagall, so it immediately felt like the perfect choice for a rainy afternoon. When we arrived, we made a small donation at the self‑kiosk and stepped inside. It seemed that many people had the same idea, because by 2:30 p.m. the museum was absolutely packed. The crowds were a good sign that the museum was worth the visit, and it certainly lived up to its reputation. The layout is easy to understand once you get your bearings. The ground floor features the European Art galleries, which include everything from medieval works to unforgettable pieces by Rembrandt, Rubens, Manet, and Van Gogh. The upper floors focus on Argentine Art and offer a fascinating look at the country’s painters and modern movements. The sculpture halls contain an impressive Rodin collection, and nearby rooms display Pre‑Columbian Andean artifacts that add even more depth to the experience. A separate pavilion hosts rotating temporary exhibitions, and the museum’s large research library is available for anyone who wants to explore further. We did not stay as long as we hoped because the crowds were overwhelming, but the visit was still worthwhile. Next time we are in Buenos Aires, we plan to arrive right when the museum opens so we can enjoy the galleries with a little more space and take a deeper look at everything this remarkable museum has to offer

The best art museum of the country. and the Egypt special exhibition is definitely worth going. There was three floors which can be assessed by both elevator in stairs. There is a balcony you can oversee the dryer and cultural building. 40mins wait at 01/04 Sunday afternoon. Bathroom upstairs too. Free admission very lovely.

I went on a Friday at 5 pm and found a long line outside, but it moved quickly, and I was inside within about 15 minutes. Entrance is free, though the staff does ask if you’d like to make a donation. The museum has three floors with both permanent and temporary exhibitions. The first floor was the most popular and crowded, so I started on the third floor and worked my way down. The museum offers a great selection of Argentine and European art. During my visit, there was also an exhibition on ancient Egypt featuring mummies and sarcophagi. Plan for about two hours to comfortably walk through the galleries and enjoy the art.

I expected more from a national museum. The building looks impressive from the outside, but the collection inside feels surprisingly limited and a bit underwhelming for a “Museo Nacional.” There are some good pieces, but the overall experience doesn’t really match the scale or potential of the place. The backpack policy makes the visit worse than it needs to be. You’re required to wear your backpack on your front, which is uncomfortable and actually makes it easier to trip or bump into things while walking through the galleries. It feels like a rule made without thinking about basic safety or visitor comfort. Worth a short visit if you are nearby and have time, but it didn’t feel like a must-see or a world-class museum experience.

Amazing art collection. At the entrance you’re invited to make a donation if you want or you can go in for free without any pressure. On the floor there are black marks that limit how close you can approach the art. They use different types of lights some are too blue and in my opinion affects the colors perception, but might be a reason for that. Don’t try to cut the line at the entrance just because you already have friends inside. Respect the queue.

It's an ammmmazing place to visit , no matter if You're local or a visit. You MUST visit this Museum, because is a pride have this kind of international level of institutions. Inside of it, are pieces of Van Gogh, Modigliani, Pettoruti, Manet, Monet, allá the impresionists, Rodin, etc. Is a complete place dedicated to the Art. Orgullo Nacional 🇦🇷⭐🇦🇷⭐🇦🇷⭐🇦🇷⭐

Excellent collection of classical paintings, including notable works by European masters. The museum also features archaeological pieces from Indigenous cultures of northern Argentina, offering valuable historical context. Contemporary art is well represented too, adding diversity to the overall experience. The only drawback is that in some rooms, the sheer number of paintings per wall makes it harder to fully appreciate each piece. Still, it’s absolutely worth a visit. The museum shops has excellent art books for sale.

Arguably the best pastel Degas ever produced is not in Paris or New York, but in Buenos Aires. Degas never visited BA but one of his beloved sisters died here. It has never been loaned to any other museums for exhibitions due to donation restrictions, so you have to come to BA to see how dazzling the work is in person. And there is so much more to discover…

There is no fee to enter this fine museum housing significant works of the European masters from pre-Renaissance days to the present and a vast collection of 19th- and 20th-century Argentine sculptures and paintings. One of Latin America's largest public art collections, set in a converted drainage pumping station. The sculptures, tapestries, gold, paintings and even fans were exceptional and beautifully displayed here. The air conditioning was turned up, this was a good respite from the 96 degrees outside.

If you choose to just visit one museum in Buenos Aires for art, this is what I would explore. The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes is the most well-known museum in Argentina for a reason. It is stunning! Located in the upscale Recoleta neighborhood near the famous Recoleta cemetery, the fine arts museum is filled with so many beautiful pieces. European Masters. Monet. Degas. Van Gogh. Goya. Toulouse Lautrec. Picasso. Amedeo Modigliani. Marc Chagall. Vassily Kandinsky. El Greco. Love the entry filled with Rodin sculptures. The Earth and the Moon (La Terre et la Lune). Unfinished but so powerful. The Kiss is iconic. What a great collection. The Argentinian Art Collection: Concrete Art and Abstract was so interesting. Lots of works by Alejandro Xul Solar, Cándido López, Prilidiano Pueyrredón, Emilio Pettoruti, Raquel Forner, and Grete Stern. Loved seeing the art of Argentinian artists. Take time to also visit the gardens and sculptures outside and the priceless paintings in the climate-controlled wing. And, amazingly, the museum is free.

Visited the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires in October 2023. Great museum experience! This museum has a great collection to admire. The admission is free of charge. The Museo Bellas Artes is located in the poshy neighborhood called Recoleta where there is a lot to see and do. We took an Uber from our hotel to the Recoleta and spent the entire day in this neighborhood. I am unsure of the parking situation for the museum. In the museum there are works by Rodin, Picasso, Barye, and lots more great artists. The architecture of the museum is classical on the exterior with a modern wing attached. Overall I will say that the museum has a slightly worn down feeling to it. You can see that they need to do lots of painting and sprucing up to be on par with other museums in similar major metropolitan cities with comparable art holdings. But don't let the worn surfaces keep you away from seeing the fantastic art collection in this awesome free museum. Bathrooms were clean but also a bit rundown. There is a small cafe in the modern wing of the museum for drinks and snacks. The guards were everywhere but all of the guards and employees were very kind and courteous. Must see museum in BA. Plan to spend at least several hours here at a minimum.

National museum of beautiful arts! This place is the best! I think it's probably the best museum in Argentina. It's got all the masters- the Van Gogh windmills painting is iconic. The have a big selection of Rodin too. The museum is FREE! They go through a huge variety of art styles, from old stuff that goes back to the Spanish colonial days, and even pre-Colombian art! I really enjoyed the Argentina military portraits and battle depictions. Cool. They also had modern art upstairs, with far out works that stretch the art viewers' minds. I was blown away by the breadth of variety and artists whom I had heard of. The gift shop was moderately priced, and had lots of beautiful art books, albeit in Spanish. There were many picture books that were enjoyable in any language. The museum is across from the most famous cemetery in town. I highly recommend checking this place out!

Gorgeous free National Museum of Fine Arts! A must see when in Buenos Aires. Spend an hour or several.

Excellent free museum in Buenos Aires between the Recoleta Cemetery and the pedestrian bridge to the famous flower sculpture. Also, a nice air-conditioned space for relief from the heat in the middle of a summer afternoon. On Sunday we were going to go, but got sidetracked by a great artisan market in the park. I'm glad we went back to the museum on Wednesday. A good mix of national and international art. It was interesting to see the impressionist French masters, hung with their Argentinian counterparts. Really well done

A very interesting museum to spend some time out of my bummer of a week in BA after a welcome mugging on my first day. :/ I noticed there was some installments from Goya. A famous Spanish painter I had studied some during HS and college during my 7 years in Spanish. He was known to paint subjects through his own light and reality, which usually wasn't in a good light. His pieces were often morbid and graphic. There was also a mixed media pieces from Korea.

When Gayle and I are in a foreign land, we usually avoid spending too much time inside museums. Along with the Evita Museum, the Museo Nacional de Ballas Artes were well-considered exceptions. Admission is free. The ground floor is primarily European art, which although well curated, did not hold much of our attention. The payoff for us, was the 2nd floor, which featured classic and modern Latin American Art. I was particularly impressed with the work of Ernesto de la Corcova, and particularly with his "Sin Pan y Sin Trabajo" piece, along with various interpretations of that work. The more modern Gyula Kosice pieces featuring water and light were also fascinating. My only quibble is the lack of a credible gift shop that accents the fine works that this place exhibits so well.

This was a nice experience while visiting Argentina. The museum was approximately 3 miles from the Hilton Hotel in Puerto Madero. I paid $2.50 for an Uber on 4/26/2019. I believe that may be a free museum. They have a special exhibit of the works of Carlos Alonso currently running and I paid 200 pesos to view (approximately $4.36). I think you can enter without paying the fee and see the other pieces of art. There is plenty to see and no tears to be shed for not visiting the special exhibit. Everyone was very respectful of space and volume levels. Pictures are allowed but no touching or flash. There is lots of security so follow the rules. The gift shop had nice things to take home to enjoy. They are reasonably priced and you can use your credit card with your home current. There was not any food or drink to be had that I could see. There was a park nearby that looked like it had more artwork and statues. You can certainly make a day trip of the area and walk nearby to eat something.

This is a really nice museum. It has several floors and spaces with different artistic themes. It is free for Argentine residents and I am not sure how much it costs for tourists but it is worth checking out. It is not a huge museum, but what it lacks in size it makes up in quality. Este es un museo realmente bonito. Cuenta con varias plantas y espacios con diferentes temas artísticos. Es gratis para los residentes argentinos y no estoy seguro de cuánto cuesta para los turistas, pero vale la pena echarle un vistazo. No es un gran museo, pero lo que le falta en tamaño lo compensa en calidad.

Very nice museum! Quite a variety of art, including Picasso, Rothko, Kline and much more. Fair price to get in. There is WiFi. Lots of helpful staff if you have questions, booklets to help you navigate. Benches if you want to take a break after a long day of traveling (like us). Random but both my mom and I commented on how much we liked the pops of color the used to paint the walls of various rooms of art.

Very impressive for an art museum that is free! Beautiful pieces of art. It was more than we expected. There are plenty if restrooms, too. The only reason for getting four stars from me is that it gets pretty toasty inside in the summer with a lot of people in there.

This is probably one of the most amazing museums I have ever had the pleasure to visit. The collection of art here is simply second to none, with the possible exception of the Louvre, which, although stunning, is so chock full of obnoxious and pushy weenies and so infested with rules and regulations and festooned with queues that make waiting in line to die a happier experience that the contents are relegated to the "don't bother" list. This place was kind of like the "Anti-Louvre". First of, everybody was nice, and tried to be helpful in a dozen languages, unlike the trout sniffing French who would rather lose another war than point you to the loo. The rooms were spacious and well marked although mostly in Spanish. Thank goodness for Google translate. There were docents everywhere but none that I found spoke English fluently. Didn't matter much because the exhibits were so stunning. Let me give an example. I walked into one room and saw a painting that I said to myself "I swear that looks like a Monet". Then I thought "No way, this is Argentina. No way they are gonna have a Monet.". Well guess what sports fans? Monet. Monet-a-Rama. Monetayonaise, the paint-meister. And get this...you can walk right up to the darn thing. Unbelievable. In the states that painting would be covered in three feet of bullet proof glass, surrounded by pistol packing guards and a big timer that would allow you 30 seconds to view the thing before somebody popped a cap in your ass. Not here. I could have reached out and touched the work. Simply amazing. And the painting was so beautiful I got a bit weepy. It just amazes me how someone can start with a blank canvas and create such a beautiful image. I am verklempt. Oh and did I mention the Degas right next to it? Or the Lautrec next to that? Holy crap. I have never seen such amazing art by do many masters in one place. AND THAT'S NOT ALL! As long as you don't use a flash, you can take pictures all day long. Try that in a museum in the states. The only picture you will have its your mug shot. Oh, and bring your purse or backpack. No worries. You gotta come here. Just for this awesome museum. Seriously. Hop a plane immediately. Probably the finest close up exhibit I have ever seen. Admission is 200 pesos,about 30 friggin cents or so. Did Larry mention he was in awe? Running out of superlatives. Loved this place PS. Great restaurant outside attached to the museum. Try the beef. Oh wait, that's all they have here.

Definitely an extensive and beautiful collection of masterpieces. They've got quite a few Spanish and Latin American artists for sure - great masterworks by Van Goh, Degas, Renoir, Gaugin, Goya, Rodin too! I really love how well this museum is organized and how well it is displayed. Especially since there isn't a fee for this museum! I am marveled by how well they keep this up without even charging anything for admission. My favorite by far is Rodin's Kiss (El Beso de Rodin). What a beautiful piece! The entire museum can be covered in 2 hours if you tour like our family. (Basically hit the highlights and quickly browse the other works). But, I can easily see this taking 4-6 hours for an art enthusiast. All in all, definitely a must see. If you're coming here for a tour, I would also recommend hitting La MALBA (Bueno's Aires Modern Art Museum) as well either right before or after. Both are within walking distance of each other.

Pretty decent art collection of the world's great masters: Van Gogh, Degas, Toulouse Lautrec, Renoir, Gaugin, Tons of RODIN- But the exceptional heart of this museum is the National Argentinian art collection, presented chronologically upstairs! Once you get upstairs, follow the rooms by number. We took a wrong turn and went out of order. There are exceptional pieces by Argentinian Artists. It was interesting to see so many of the western art movements (and Argentina really has a very European flavor) interpreted with an Argentinian twist. Check out the room full of kinetic art- which must be switched ON, by hand, by YOU- Just flip the switch and see what happens! Another free art museum in Buenos Aires that won't let you down! Be aware though, this museum, as with most in Argentina, doesn't open until 12:30pm on weekdays. (It opens a little earlier on weekends.

I'm mesmerized by the two Modigliani faces on view. van Gogh's windmill is stark and capricious. and non-representational Americans are energetic and glowing. and it's all free, gratis, libre. how incredible is that?

Conveniently located near Recoleta Cemetery and Floralis Generica, this free museum should appeal to any art lover. I'm no art connoisseur so I liked that the collection wasn't huge and overwhelming. Oh and on the weekends they are open at 9:30 am! There's an outdoor market/hippie fair in the nearby plaza so you can spend several hours in this area.

Great free museum worth checking out. Great selections in a large museum. Features modern art as well as traditional European art

Impressive collection. I wouldn't have guessed this newly orange painted building would house the famous works like Degas' ballerinas, Van Gogh's windmill, Picasso's woman resting, Rodin's the kiss, and a huge collection of 19th century European art. Plus a handful of Argentinean artists (Pueyrredón, Sívori, Della Valle, de la Cárcova, Cándido López). Rooms are arranged by period and it's a huge variety from classical to modern. Now they have a copper etching display and an indigenous art exhibits that are worth checking out. On top of all that, the museum is free. In the lobby they provide and easy to read, concise maps and even highlight some of the famous works. They also allow you to take non-flash pictures. Be forewarned that this place is not open on Mondays or weekday mornings (12:30-20:30 Tu-F; 9:30-20:30 on weekends). I have come here twice and both times it was closed, the third I came too early and had to wait. But it was definitely worth the hassle.

I am giving this museum 5 stars for two reasons: - first, the collection is impressive. Lots of famous names, Dutch and French in particular and on top of that you get Argentinean painters, which helps you learn more about the country's culture. - second, despite the financial turmoil in the country there is no admission fee. In the sweet manner so typical to people here, a security guard approached us to ask where we come from and to recommend that we don't miss the temporary exhibition upstairs. And it was a nice one indeed :)!

What a great FREE museum!!! Beautiful works of art and a lot of them!!!! Every room holds a lovely surprise. So many wonderful artists and a good amount of local BA artists. A must see!!

This museum is totally worth your time - but try to avoid it on rainy/muggy/hot days as only a handful of the rooms are air conditioned. It can get pretty brutal in there.

If you enjoy seeing art by some of the greatest then you'll want to visit. The museum is a comfortable size that allows viewing all exhibits within a couple of hours. And surprisingly there is no charge! Would willingly pay a small entrance fee.

Well, it's not a huge museum, but it's free. I came here twice; once on a whim, and once with my beloved bandoneon teacher (who hadn't been there since he was a kid). There are just a few of each type of thing; a few Impressionists, a few Victorian-type nudes, a few landscapes... but it's enough. Really, too much is overkill (like the frickin' Hermitage; who has time?). A nice museum, and I had the thought 'this is to remind me what's beautiful in the world', since they are that sort of paintings. And isn't that enough?