Argentina's national history museum, installed in a mid-19th-century mansion at the southern end of San Telmo, holds the primary collection of objects relating to Argentine independence and the early national period. The collection includes weapons, portraits, and personal effects of José de San Martín (the independence general whose image is everywhere in the city); coins and documents from the colonial period; and a substantial archive of material relating to the political and military history of the 19th century.
Less visited than the major Recoleta attractions, the Museo Histórico Nacional has been gradually renovating its displays and is now a more coherent experience than it used to be. The building itself — a colonnaded mansion set in formal gardens with views across the park toward the river — is worth the visit even if the Argentine independence era is not a particular interest.