Museo Evita

It is almost impossible for non-Argentines to fathom that it wasn't until 50 years after her death that Evita, the world's most famous Argentine, was finally granted a museum. The Museo Evita opened on July 26, 2002, the 50th anniversary of her death, in a mansion where her charity, the Eva Perón Foundation, once housed single mothers with children. The placement of the house here had been meant as a direct affront to the wealthy neighbors who hated Evita.

While the museum treats her history fairly, looking at both the good and the bad, it is quickly obvious to the visitor that each presentation has a little bit of love for Evita behind it, and indeed, members of the family are involved in the museum. Evita's grandniece, the Buenos Aires Senator Cristina Alvarez Rodríguez, is president of the Evita Perón Historical Research Foundation, the group that runs the museum, and she is often in the building meeting with the staff. Gabriel Miremont, the museum's curator, is Argentina's preeminent expert on Evita history; he became personally interested in Evita as a child, when he was punished by his father for listening to lyrics from the Evita play. (It was technically illegal to do so during this period of military rule, following the collapse of Perón's second government in 1976.) Thus, while historically accurate, the museum has a close personal touch that sets it apart from most museums.

The museum displays divide Evita's life into several parts, looking at her childhood, her arrival in Buenos Aires with hopes of becoming an actress, her ascension to First Lady and unofficial saint to millions, and her death and legacy. You can view her clothes, remarkably preserved by the military government that took power after Perón's fall in 1955, along with photos of her wearing them. Other artifacts of her life include her female voter card, marked #1, the first issue. It was through Evita's work that Argentine women gained the right to vote in 1947. There are also toys and schoolbooks adorned with her image, given to children to indoctrinate them into the Peronist movement. The most touching artifact of all, though, is a smashed statue of Evita, hidden for decades by a farmer in his barn, despite the threat of being jailed for saving it. Whether you hate, love, or are indifferent to Evita, this is a museum that no visitor to Argentina should miss. Digesting the exhibits here will help you understand why she remains such a controversial figure within the Argentine psyche. The museum also houses a cafe and restaurant (open daily 9am-12:30am; tel. 11/4800-1599), praised for its atmosphere and Italian food, that has become popular among locals and fashionistas in particular and is worth a trip all on its own.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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