Recoleta & Palermo

A necropolis of 4,691 vaults containing Argentina's presidents, Nobel laureates, military heroes, and oligarchs in ornate mausoleums designed by renowned architects. Founded in 1822, it reflects every architectural style from neoclassical to art deco. Eva Peron's modest black granite tomb is the most visited — her body was stolen by the military in 1955, hidden for 16 years, buried in Milan under a false name, and finally returned here. The cemetery reads as a map of Argentine power: the Duarte, Alvear, Sarmiento, and Mitre families all lie within its walls.

Get the free map at the entrance to find Evita's tomb efficiently. The Iglesia del Pilar next door (1732) is one of Buenos Aires' oldest colonial churches.

A museum dedicated to Eva Peron housed in a 1909 Italianate mansion in Palermo that Evita herself converted into a shelter for homeless women and children through her Social Aid Foundation in the 1940s. The collection traces her extraordinary trajectory from impoverished provincial girl to actress to the most powerful woman in Argentine history. Exhibits include her famous gowns, political campaign materials, newsreels, and personal effects. Evita died of cancer in 1952 at age 33, and the nation's grief was so intense that the government declared 30 days of mourning.

The museum restaurant in the garden is excellent for lunch. Combine with a visit to the Recoleta Cemetery to see her actual tomb.