This sprawling museum in Parque Criollo dates from 1936 and is largely dedicated to Ricardo Güiraldes, author of the novel Don Segundo Sombra, and local gaucho history and culture in general. The entrance is in a re-created pulpería (tavern), set up as it would have been when it first opened in 1850, while the museum's main displays are housed in a 20th-century reproduction of an 18th-century casco (ranch house).
These well laid-out exhibits include gaucho money belts, silverwork and paintings (a number of them by Eduardo Sívori) and there are several rooms dedicated to Güiraldes – items include his old poncho and writing desk. Within the museum complex is a workshop and loom used to weave traditional woolen ponchos and blankets, which are also available to buy.
