Museo of the Gaucho and Currency

At Museo del Gaucho y la Moneda, Uruguay’s gaucho heritage shares space with a collection on currency. The museum is inside Palacio Heber, a former bank building in Montevideo, at Cerrito 351. See traditional clothing, horse tack, spurs, silverwork and leather crafts, then look for the smaller displays on accounting and money. The palace’s ornate architecture is part of the visit. Admission is free, and staff can help explain translation options for the exhibits.

Gaucho life and traditional crafts

The museum’s gaucho collection traces a rural way of life shaped by horses, cattle and the open countryside. Displays include traditional clothing such as ponchos, along with horse tack and decorative spurs in silver and gold.

Look for handmade silver and leather objects, as well as mates and bombillas. Mate is a bitter infusion, and the bombilla is the filtered metal straw used to drink it. The collection includes examples with playful designs.

Currency inside Palacio Heber

A separate part of the museum focuses on currency and accounting. Its smaller displays give the visit a second subject alongside gaucho culture, bringing together objects related to Uruguay’s money and financial history.

The museum occupies Palacio Heber, a three-storey mansion acquired by Banco República. Its ornate exterior and interior architecture are worth noticing as you move between the collections.