Mexico City: City of Museums
Mexico City is rumoured to have over 150 museums and I don’t doubt that number. There seems to be a museum or two on every street in the 150-block historic centre (Centro Historico), as well as many outside it. My mom estimates that over our 18-day visit, we visited over 30 museums. Quite frankly, I lost count.
But whatever the number, we do agree on our seven favourite museums (no particular order):
Museo Nacional de Antropologia
Museo Soumaya
Museo Nacional de Arte
Museo de Arte Popular
Secretaria de Educacion Publica
Museo Frida Kahlo
Museo del Juguete Antiguo Mexico (aka the Toy Museum)
Museo Nacional de Antropologia
Built in 1964 and designed by Pedro Ramirez Vazquez, the Museo Nacional de Antropologia (MNA) still looks very contemporary - flat roof and huge central plaza largely covered with a 275-foot canopy balanced on a 36-ft pillar decorated with European and Mexican civilization reliefs. Unlike many new museums and art galleries in the late 20th and early 21st century, the architectural design of MNA enhances, not competes with the artifacts. Just as it ideally always should.
The museum is unique also in that the ground floor, dedicated to archaeological finds from ancient Mexico - each room dealing with a particular civilization or region of the country - allows you to wander outside into gardens and courtyards thus recreating an “in situ” experience with the artifacts. I loved the outdoor reconstructions of the Mayan temples and Monte Alban Tomb.
This is a huge museum with 23 exhibition rooms on two levels, covering 800,000+ square feet and sitting on almost 20 acres. While most people we talked to spend about 2 hours at the museum, they must have been running through it. I think all North Americans should visit this museum to develop a better appreciation of our collective history – the artifacts and stories are compelling.
Admission: 64 MX pesos (about $5 CDN) (no children or family pricing)
Time: Could easily be 4+ hours. While you are in the area, you might want to check out the Mexico Zoo or the Chapultepec Castle at the top of a hill in the middle of the park of the same name – both are close by. There are also two other smaller museums nearby - Museo Tamyo and Museo de Arte Moderno.
Tamayo's bold and beautiful mural graces the entrance to Mexico City's insightful Anthropology Museum a "must see" for all North Americans.
The museum's courtyard has a zen-like atmosphere.
This single pillar not only holds up the entire canopy, but it serves as a powerful waterfall and relief sculpture. The museum is gracefully designed to enhance and respect the sense of place created by the artifacts. It is part of Mexico City's wonderful connectivity between the past and present.
The entrance to the first gallery tells the story of man's evolution on the planet earth.
The gallery spaces are spacious but not overwhelming, making for a enjoyable experience.
The exhibition spaces are a wonderful link to the architecture and artifacts of past cultures.
One of the many gardens that link the indoor galleries with outdoor spaces to create a unique museum experience.
Found this Mayan mural when I stuck my head into one of the ruins spaces it covered all the walls and roof. I couldn't help but immediately think of Picasso's Guernica and how the early Mexican cultures foreshadowed many of the 19th and early 20th century European art practices.
The upper floors of the museum showcase information on the diversity of indigenious cultures in different parts of Mexico.
It was interesting to see this image, after encountering two young men wearing contemporary deer heads masks in the Zombie Walk.
When you see an artifact like this you quickly make the connection to the iconic skull-like face paintings of the "Day of the Dead" festival.
Found this one-eyed figure painted on a artifact and was stuck by how contemporary it was.
As an urbanist, this panel made me realize that Mexico City has centuries of architecture and urban design to build upon. I realized how infantile we are in Calgary.
This panel was enlightening as it illustrates how violence and war has been part of Mexico's (and many other nations') culture for thousands of years. It is very hard for Canadians to understand this.
Museo Soumaya
A private museum of Carlos Slim, one of the richest men in the world, it is named after his deceased wife Soumaya Domit, designed by his son-in-law Fernando Romero and engineered by Frank Gehry and Ove Arup.
The six-story building is an uber-contemporary design with its flat base (perched above the sidewalk) and roof anchoring a twisted tower that gives the building a tension and shape that defies description. The 16,000, shiny, hexagonal, aluminum tiles (supplied by a company owned by Slim) are like the skin of a snake. Opened in 2011, the museum anchors the Nuevo Polanco district, which includes several other contemporary office, hotel and shopping centres including a modern Costco across the street.
Inside, you are greeted by a huge, stark white minimalist lobby that is home to just three artworks - murals by Mexico’s iconic artists Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo and the renowned sculpture “The Thinker” by Rodin. This is just the beginning of your exploration of the 66,000 pieces of art including the world’s largest collection of pre-Hispanic and colonial era coins. If that isn’t enough to make you want to go, how about seeing the largest collection of casts of sculptures by Auguste Rodin outside of France. Its a “who’s who” of works by modern European artists like Dali, Picasso, Renoir, Miro, Monet, Matisse and van Gogh.
The museum is easy to navigate thanks to ramps that wind their way up the side of the building, similar to Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The galleries are full of art and artifacts that appeal to all ages.
Admission: Free
Time: Give yourself at least two hours to explore the museum and another hour or so to explore the area’s architecture and shopping. As well, Acuario Inbursa, one of the world’s top aquariums, is located across the street.
This museum is diametrically opposed to the Anthropology Museum as it shouts loudly - "Look-At-Me" design.
The shape and the facade skin make the building very photogenic.
Inside the lobby and staircases are as cold as ice, which contrasts with Mexico's culture of warm and colourful artifacts and murals.
The top floor sculpture gallery is a bit of a free-for-all of sculptures.
These dark powerful Rodins figures are centre piece of the gallery.
Dali's sculptures provide the comic relief.
The Palanco community around the museum is full of modern buildings that make for some interesting exploring. Note the green wall on the right; this is one of many green walls in Mexico City, including one that covers the entire entrance wall of a parkade for probably 200 + feet.
Museo Nacional de Arte
An equestrian statue of Charles IV guards the entrance to the National Museum of modern Mexican art, which opened in 1982. While the art is spectacular, the Ministry of Communications and Public Works building (completed in 1911) is the star of this show. In the words of my mother, “this museum is worth a visit for the building alone.” Our Eyewitness Travel book agrees, “Its double staircase, in bronze and marble, is enclosed by a semi-circular staircase, three stories high. The interior, with its intricate ironwork and many candelabra, is sumptuous.” We agree; we were in awe!
The artwork spans the time from 16th century to mid 20th century, with excellent examples of works by Mexico’s great muralists - Rivera, Siqueiros and Orozco. The collection of Mexican monumental religious paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries was a real eye-opener, never before appreciating the quality and depth of Mexican art. At points in our visit, we just had to sit and rest, as the art and architecture were overwhelming.
Admission: Free
Time: Minimum of 2 hours
The ornamentation of this building was spectacular.
The three-floor spiraling stair case was jaw-dropping.
Just one of the many ceiling paintings. They were truly heavenly!
The colour in this photograph is real, it was an assault to your senses. I will let the other images speak for themselves.
This is a painting of Mexico City in the 16th century. Not the lake and mountains in the distance. Today the lake is gone and the city is climbing the mountains, severing as a reminder of how urban sprawl has existed from centuries, it is not a late 20th century phenomena.
Diego Rivera, Zapatista Landscape, 1915
Jose Clemente Orozco, The Demagogue, 1947
David Alfaro Siqueiros, Self Portrait, 1945 (Could he be taking a selfie?)
Ramon Alva de la Canal, The Cafe de Nadie, 1930
Museo de Arte Popular
When flaneuring the hardware district, we happened upon this museum because of its cathedral-like, art deco building amongst a mish-mash of buildings with facades covered with gaudy signage.
The museum brings together folk art from all over Mexico, from traditional to contemporary pieces, representing the country’s cultural and geographical diversity. The exhibition spaces and displays were world class.
The museum is best known as the sponsor of the yearly Noche de Alebrijes (Night of the Alebrijes) parade in which fantastical creatures are constructed on a monumental scale (some up to 25 ft high) and then paraded about 10km from the Zocalo to the Angel of Independence monument. We missed the parade, but we did see the 200+ creatures on the street the next day, which made for a free, fun outdoor gallery experience.
A highlight of our visit to this museum visit was seeing a school tour of very excited junior high students who seemed to love everything about the museum. Of course, my Mom had to chat with them and they were only too willing to practise their English.
Admission: 40 MX pesos, Free for seniors (over 60) and children under 13
Time: 1 hour (Don’t forget to stop into their lovely gift shop – great for souvenir hunters)
The streets surround the Popular Arts Museum are full of hundreds of small shops selling "Home Hardware" type goods, including the kitchen sink.
The classic art deco building was originally the Fire Department Headquarters.
The interior courtyard of the building has been glassed over to create a wonderful gallery space that looks like a modern South Beach Hotel. The colourful Alebrijes creatures in the distance bring the space alive in a fun folk-art manner.
The windows in the courtyard were used to display items from the collection. I loved the exquisite interaction of the reflections of the artifacts and architecture.
The galleries were full of exhibitions of crafts of all kinds. These devil creatures captured by imagination.
The workmanship of the objects was outstanding.
An image from the video of the Night of the Alebrijes Parade
The Alebrijes creatures on parade on the sidewalk next to the Angel of Independence monument.
Secretaria de Educacion Publica
This museum is a hidden gem – it took a bit of searching to find it on our last day, but my Mom wouldn’t give up and I’m glad she didn’t as it has, in our opinion, the best collection of murals in Mexico City. Bonus – there was no line up (in fact, we had the entire place to ourselves).
This former convent, which dates back to 1639, has hundreds of Diego Rivera murals from 1923 to 1928, illustrating the diversity of his artistic practice and influences – Italian frescoes, cubism and pre-Columbian Mexico. The ground floor is dedicated to the glorification of labour - rich colourful paintings and monochromatic portraits depicting scientific, artistic and intellectual pursuits. On the staircase and second floor are a series of landscapes and state emblems from different parts of Mexico. The third floor showcases stories about the Revolution including one of his Rivera’s signature pieces “The Arsenal” where his wife, artist Frida Kahlo is shown handing out guns to the revolutionaries. It was a reminder of how much political revolution and violence has been part of Mexico’s history for centuries.
While most visitors line up to see the Palacio Nacional with its iconic murals, temporary exhibitions and gardens, our recommendation - if you are pressed for time - is to come here instead.
Admission: Free
Time: 2 hours
The Arsenal, Diego Rivera
Untitled, Diego Rivera
Untitled, Diego Rivera
All of the walls of the building are covered with murals each telling a story of the lives and rich history of Mexico.
Wall Street Banquet, Diego Rivera
Capitalist Dinner, Diego Rivera
Agriculture, Diego Rivera
Untitled, Diego Rivera (Note the deer head on the shaman-like figure. Rivera was very interested in the ancient cultures of Mexico as he was the modern art of Europe).
Museo Frida Kahlo
This Museum is the actual house where Frida Kahlo was born, lived most of her life, painted some of her best works and died. Generally, not a big fan of famous peoples’ homes that have been turned into shrines, I was thus not impressed when we first arrived and had to line up. We had been spoiled to this point of just walking into museums and having them pretty much to ourselves.
However, we got to chatting with some young people in line about our thoughts about Mexico City and their insights into what is it like living and growing up in Mexico City - the time did pass quickly.
The house and gardens where a delight to wander, even if it was too crowded for my liking. The house was donated to the nation in 1955, by Kahlo’s husband Diego Rivera shortly after Kahlo died. As you would expect, the home is full of Kahlo’s artwork, artifacts from her studio and everyday items and artifacts she collected. This includes a lovely collection of small religious paintings on metal called Votive paintings, which interested me having purchased one for our art collection earlier in the week. I also found the simple, cartoon-like, giant “Judas” figures made out of paper (later I learned these are burned on Easter Sunday as a symbolic destruction of evil) both playful and eerie.
One of the surprises was the contemporary display of some of Kahlo’s dresses and personal belongings. Especially spooky was the black dark room featuring her corsets (in lighted glass cases) that she used to hide her body (it was disfigured by childhood polio and a near-fatal traffic accident that forced her to have over 30 operations, including a leg amputation in her later years). It certainly added to the surrealistic experience, as did the lovely garden oasis – a sea of tranquility in a life of torment.
Admission: 120 MX pesos weekdays and 150 MX pesos weekend for adults; 40 MX pesos for post secondary students and 15 MX pesos for children and seniors
Time: 1 hour to tour the museum, but you should give yourself 30 minutes in the line-up (you can purchase tickets in advance). If time permits, the Museo Casa de Leon Trotsky is near by and/or the Coyoacain community which is full of cafes, shops and parks.
Kahlo's Museum had the best "Day of the Dead" altar that we found in Mexico City.
Kahlo's garden oasis.
Like Rivera, Kahlo was interested in both past and present cultures. This was a display of her dresses.
Kahlo elaborate corset
Kahlo's contemporary dresses
Surrealistic display of Kahlo's artifacts
There were dozens of Judas figures like this one scattered around the house. I chose this one as it seemed to relate to the suffering and hardship of broken body that Kahlo experienced in her life.
Museo del Juguete Antiguo Mexico (Toy Museum)
Located in the heart of the Doctores neighbourhood, this museum, located in a five-story office building, is definitely off the beaten path. However, for urban explorers and those who love toys, it is a “must see.” In fact, it is more like an antique or flea market than a museum as there are no fancy display cases, no labels with titles, dates and artists’ names, no information panels and no security guards. In fact, the main floor sells toys that could easily be extras from the museum – you will not confuse it with a typical gift shop.
The museum was started by Roberto Shimizu, a Mexican of Japanese descent, who began to hoard every toy he could get his hands on since the age of 10. Most of the 20,000+ toys, games, dolls etc. date back to mid-20th century. One of the highlights for me was the small peddle-cars. Backstory: My Mom tells me I loved my peddle-car so much they had to replace the tires!
The museum is absolutely chockablock full of toys, piled up everywhere, making you have to step over and around them in this hoarder’s dream. There is a “thrill of the hunt” atmosphere to the museum with lots of smiles and giggles from parents and children.
Admission: 50 MX pesos per person
Time: Give yourself about 1.5 hours depending on how much you are into toys and nostalgia. There is not a lot else to see and do in the vicinity of the museum.
Mexico's Toy Museum office block.
Walt Disney fun.
What would a toy museum be without truck and planes.
The museum is full of vignettes like this one of small toy people.
There are many home-made toys and displays like this one. Note how the inside is filled with figures.
One of about 10 pedal cars.
I wish I had one of these as a kid...it might have changed my life.
Every toy museum must have toy soldiers.
The museum is full of fun displays like this one of yo-yos.
This flying saucer fill of robot vignettes was perhaps my favourite piece.
Last Word
I was constantly amazed during my adventure in Mexico City how their contemporary culture still seems to evolve around evil, death, religion and spirituality. It made visiting the museums seem more relevant and authentic, with the strong connectivity between past and present in Mexico City.
Hot Tips
You could easily plan a 7-day vacation in Mexico City just around visiting these seven museums. Be aware too that many of the museums are free on Sundays for Mexicans so they can be quite busy and distract from the experience, so we suggest choosing a less popular museum on Sundays if possible. Also, many museums are closed on Mondays, an exception being the Museo Soumaya (open Mondays and closed Tuesdays) making it a good destination for a Monday adventure.