A few meters from Plaza de Mayo, there is a little-known museum that shows you the history of crime in Buenos Aires and keeps its greatest secret in one of its rooms: the Aztec Flower of Divination. I discovered this crime museum in Buenos Aires, one of the most unknown and secret museums in CABA.
A Clandestine Gaming Room and a Decapitated Woman, the famous Aztec Flower: This is the Most Hidden and Unknown Museum in Buenos Aires
In downtown Buenos Aires, in a building on San Martín Street, lies what is perhaps the least known and probably most secret and enigmatic museum in Buenos Aires. You won’t see it from the street, so you have to make a reservation to access the Federal Police Museum, a museum where you will learn about the evolution of crime in the city and discover how some of the most ingenious scams of the 20th century operated.
In this little-known Buenos Aires museum, you will discover themed rooms dedicated to illegal gambling, counterfeiting, drug addiction, and theft. But there is one room in particular that is sure to capture your attention: the room of forbidden games, where you will see up close and learn from a guide about the history of the famous “Flor Azteca” (Aztec Flower).
At the Federal Police Museum, you will discover firsthand the story of one of the most famous scams of the 1930s: the headless woman trick or Flor Azteca. In the 1930s, those arriving in Buenos Aires for the first time could easily become victims of deception. Imagine: the city was growing, the port was a gateway for thousands of immigrants, and anonymity favored all kinds of shady dealings.
The Aztec Flower: the scam that caught newcomers to Buenos Aires
One of the most striking scams was the Aztec Flower, a scam linked to illegal gambling that promised quick profits and ended up leaving victims penniless. The Aztec Flower was presented as an oracle, but it was actually a magic trick used to deceive those who had just arrived in Buenos Aires.
The Aztec flower that you will see in this secret and enigmatic museum in Buenos Aires was originally located in Puerto de Retiro, which in the 1930s was called Parque Japonés. The Aztec Flower has mirrors on the back, which created an optical illusion that made it look like a floating woman’s head.
If you want to learn more about this story and see an Aztec Flower from the 1930s up close, visit this museum and the Prohibited Games Room at the Argentine Federal Police Museum, where original objects are on display and explanations are provided about how these organizations operated and how they were investigated by the police.
What you will find in the Buenos Aires Federal Police Museum
The Police Museum is not a conventional space. On your tour of this unique and enigmatic museum, you will see antique uniforms and decorations from different periods, historical weapons and seized items, police communication equipment, documentation on landmark cases, and rooms dedicated to counterfeiting, forensic medicine, and complex crimes.
If you are looking for something different to do in the city center, the Police Museum is an original and less crowded option. It is located within the Federal Police Circle and occupies the upper floors of the building, which gives it an even more secretive air.Admission is free and requires prior reservation by emailing gestionadm_dgsg@policiafederal.gov.ar
📍 Police Museum – San Martín 353, CABA
🕒 Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
📞 Tel: 4394-6857
📩 Advance booking: gestionadm_dgsg@policiafederal.gov.ar