MUSEUMS
Mexico City has more museums than just about
any other tourist destination in the world. Many
are worth visiting for their architecture
as well as their cultural offerings, which include art exhibits
and history displays.
Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso ? Located in the Historic Center
at 16 Justo Sierra, Col. Centro, Cuauhtemoc
District. This historic building houses permanent and temporary art
exhibits and hosts various cultural events. It has three patio areas known as: el Patio de los Pasantes, el Colegio Chico and el Colegio Grande. In the latter, you?ll find murals from
renowned Mexican artists, such as Diego Rivera. Open Tuesday through
Sunday from 10:00 to 5:30.
Museo Nacional de Arte (National Art Museum) ? Located in the Historic Center
at 8 Tacuba Street, Col. Centro, Cuauhtemoc District. This is one of
the most important art museums
in Latin America due to its
collection, facilities and services. It
exhibits Mexican art from the
16th to 20th centuries, including paintings, sculptures, engravings, photography, manuscripts and antique furniture. Open Tuesday through
Sunday from 10:30 to 5:30.
Museo de la Ciudad (Museum
of the City) ? Located downtown at 30 Pino Suarez in the Palacio de los
Condes de Santiago de Calimaya, Col. Centro. This building is
considered an architectural and cultural treasure of New
Spain. Its 27 showrooms have various exhibits, including paintings, maps and models,
which chronicle the history of
Mexico City, from the pre-Hispanic era to present day. The
museum also has temporary art exhibits,
concerts, theatrical performances, conferences and workshops. Open Tuesday through
Sunday from 10:00 to 8:00.
Museo Franz Meyer ? Located at 45 Avenida Hidalgo, in
front of Alameda Central Park, Col. Centro, Cuauhtemoc District. In a building that was once the
San Juan de Dios church, this
museum has an unparalleled collection of pre-Hispanic
and colonial objects that were donated
by German businessman Franz Meyer. The
museum has colonial-style showrooms, a lovely indoor patio and a library with a collection of books
on decorative arts. Open Tuesday
through Sunday from 10:00 to 5:00 and Wednesdays from 9:00 to 7:00.
Museo Nacional de Antropologia
(National Museum of Anthropology) ? Located on Avenida Peseo de la Reforma,
Col. Chaputepec Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo District. This is considered one
of the best anthropology museums
worldwide. It has showrooms specializing in archaeology, where you?ll see important
exhibits of pre-Hispanic culture
and objects, as well as ethnology rooms, where you
get to take
a closer look at ancient indigenous
artwork. The museum also has temporary exhibits, a library, audiovisual services, a restaurant and guided tours in English and French. Open
Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 to 7:00.
Museo de Arte Moderno (Modern Art Museum) ? Located off Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, at
Gandhi Street in Chapultepec Park, Miguel Hidalgo District. This museum has an important
collection of national and international
20th-century art,
consisting of paintings, sculptures, drawings and photography.
Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 5:30.
Museo Nacional de Historia (National History Museum) ? Located in the first section of
the Chapultepec Park in the Chaputepec
Castle. Has 12 showrooms that house objects
from various stages in history, including the conquest,
the Viceregal era, Mexican independence, the reform movement
and the revolution.
On the top
floor, in addition to a library, you?ll
find two sections with recreated
rooms of the castle during
the time when Emperor Maximillian of Hapsburg resided
there with his wife Carlota Amalia of Belgium. In addition, the museum
has a garden area and an old
observatory. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 to 5:00.
Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares (National Museum of Popular Culture) ? This museum
is located at 289 Avenida Hidalgo, Col. del Carmen, Coyoacan District. It has six different
areas with Mexican culture from various regions
on display. It?s also a cultural center with an
auditorium and two patio areas where you can listen to music or see
a theatrical performance. Guided tours are offered in German, French, Italian and Portuguese.
Open Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 to 6:00 and Friday through
Sunday from 10:00 to 8:00.
Museo Casa Frida Kahlo
Casa Azul (Frida Khalo Museum) - Located in south Mexico City
at 247 Londres, Col. del Carmen, Coyoacan
District. This was the home
of artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. In several rooms, you?ll see their
personal objects, altarpieces,
popular art and a large collection of pre-Hispanic
art from Mexico?s western, southern and Gulf
Coast regions. You?ll also see
works of such artists as Jose Clemente Orozco, Jose Maria
Velasco and Paul Klee, among others.
Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 6:00.
Museo Soumaya ? Located in southwest Mexico City in Plaza Loreto, at Avenida
Magdalena and Avenida Revolucion,
Col. Tizapan, Alvaro Obregon District. In these showrooms you can enjoy a permanent collection of New Spain
portraiture, religious art and Latin
America?s most extensive sculpture collection of Auguste
Rodin and Camille Claudel. You?ll also see
a varied collection of national and
international artists such as Rufino Tamayo, Paul Gauguin and Vincent
Van Gogh. The museum also has a play area for children
where they can enjoy fun activities
related to the exhibit. Open
Wednesday through Sunday from 10:30 to 6:30 and Fridays
and Saturdays from 10:30 to 8:30.
