Buenos Aires is full of palaces from an era of splendor. Today most of them are museums but they house the history of the families that inhabited them. If you don’t visit them as museums, take a guided tour and discover the splendor of other times. This is the French neoclassical palace of the Errázuriz Alvear family and you can visit its galleries on free guided tours.
A French palace more than 100 years old that you can visit for free every week.
You have passed by it a thousand times, that’s for sure. You’ve probably even had breakfast in the cafeteria at the entrance to the garden of this palace. But even so, you may have never entered and, in fact, you do not know this French palace in Buenos Aires that is not hidden (it is huge, how not to see it) but despite being a museum, not many people know about it.
The residence of the Errázuriz Alvear family is an impressive French neoclassical palace, built in the early twentieth century. The idea of the Errázuriz Alvear family was that their residence would be a reflection of European refinement, luxury, good taste and the latest technologies of the time, and for that, they entrusted the construction of this palace in Recoleta to the French architect René Sergent.
The Errázuriz Alvear family lived in this palace for 18 years until it was bought in 1937 to transform it into a museum. Its architecture and details are impressive, but what makes this palace very special is the great amount of technological advances they added, even striking for that time: can you imagine a 20th century French palace with two elevators, central heating and centralized dust extraction?
Errázuriz Alvear Palace: How to visit this French neoclassical palace for free
The result is what is now the Museo de Arte Decorativo de Buenos Aires, a mansion of more than 4,000 square meters, with wood-covered halls, marble brought from Europe, hand-carved boiseries, stained-glass windows, chandeliers and monumental staircases.
Among the highlights of the Decorative Art Museum are Renaissance objects, Sèvres porcelains, French tapestries, 18th century clocks and works by artists such as El Greco, Fragonard and Boudin. The original ambience of the rooms is intact, so walking through the museum is like traveling back in time to the days of Buenos Aires high society in 1900.
How to access the free guided tours
The Museo de Arte Decorativo offers free guided tours so you can learn about the history of the family, the architectural secrets of the building and the most outstanding pieces of the collection. It also offers cultural activities, classical music concerts, workshops, lectures and temporary exhibitions.
To access the guided tours, you only have to show up on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 4 pm. Admission to the museum as well as to the guided tours is free, so there is no need to make a reservation in advance.
📍1902 Libertador Avenue
🕒 Wednesday to Sunday, from 1 to 7 pm
🎟️ Admission: free of charge