Mexico City Attractions
- Overview
- Attractions
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Catedral Metropolitana
On the north side of the
Zocalo,
Centro Historico, Mexico
City.
Daily 8 am-8 pm. Free.
This is the largest cathedral in Latin America, begun in 1567 and constructed
over a period of 250 years. Built in a fanciful baroque style known as
churrigueresque, it's filled with exquisite details and has many small,
lavishly embellished chapels. It also boasts one of the largest organs in the
world: concerts are given on special occasions. Restoration work is continually
under way inside. The cathedral is sinking into the swampy soil beneath it and
lists to one side, which is clearly visible from the outside.
El Monumento de la Independencia
Paseo de la Reforma (at the
intersection with Avenida Florencia and Avenida Rio Tiber
near La Zona Rosa
The Angel of Independence monument, a gilded statue of a winged Victory atop a
150-foot column, is one of the most beloved and most often photographed
landmarks in the city.
Palacio de Bellas Artes
Avenida Hidalgo 1 (at the
eastern end of Alameda Central, Bellas Artes metro station),
Centro Historico, Mexico
City.
Phone 5512-2593
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-5:30
pm.. Free on Sunday.
The gracious Palace of Fine Arts is a must-see whether you attend a performance,
visit an art exhibition or simply take in the spectacular architecture. The
art-deco building (with pre-Hispanic reliefs) was designed by renowned Italian
architect Adamo Boari at the beginning of the 20th century. The interior is
decorated with murals by Rivera, Tamayo, Siqueiros and Orozco, and the concert
hall has a stand-out beaded-glass stage curtain by Tiffany that depicts the
Valley of Mexico.
Palacio de Iturbide
Calle de Madero 17
Centro Historico, Mexico
City.
Phone 5518-2187
Monday-Friday 9 am-5 pm.
Free.
This 18th-century mansion, which boasts a baroque Italianate facade, sweeping
columns and delicate ornamentation, was once the residence of the Spanish
vice-regents and later of Agustin Iturbide, the general who drove them out of
Mexico. Now meticulously restored, it houses a cultural center that sponsors art
exhibitions and educational events
Palacio Nacional
Avenida Pino Suarez (facing
the Zocalo)
Centro Historico, Mexico
City
Daily 9 am-5 pm. Free
The National Palace,
commissioned by Hernan Cortez, contains the federal treasury and the national
archives. Until recently, it also housed the offices of the Mexican president.
It contains some of Diego Rivera's best-known murals, colorful depictions of
Mexico City's long history from before the Spanish conquest to the 20th century.
Go to the main portal and show a form of picture ID to the guards.
Paseo de la Reforma
Emperor Maximilian wanted a direct path between the Historic Center and his
palace in Chapultepec Park, so he laid out this famous boulevard to resemble
Paris' Champs Elysees. Today, office buildings and hotels rise above the
tree-lined promenades and glorietas (traffic circles). It is a place to
stroll and look at the many monuments, fountains and statues of Mexican heroes.
Construction up and down the avenue is part of the city's renovation plan.
Torre Latinoamericana
Lazaro Cardenas 2 at Madero,
Bellas Artes metro station
Centro Historico, Mexico
City.
Daily 8 am-11 pm.
When this Empire State Building look-alike was built in the 1960s, it was the
tallest building in Latin America. Its 43 stories tower above the Historic
Center. The restaurant and observation deck on the top afford a good view of the
city on a clear day.
Zocalo
The plaza is flanked by
Avenida Pino Suarez, Avenida 20 de Noviembre, Avenida 16 de Septiembre and
Avenida Madero. Centro Historico.
The Plaza de la Constitucion,
commonly referred to as the Zocalo, is the second-largest plaza in the world
and is surpassed only by Red Square in Moscow. It's also the heart of the Centro
Historico and of the entire city, as well as the main venue for national
celebrations. On most days you can see dancers performing and vendors peddling
their wares.
Museo Anahuacalli
Calle del Museo 150,
Coyoacan, Mexico City.
Phone 5617-4310.
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-6 pm.
A permanent display of Diego Rivera's huge collection of pre-Hispanic pieces.
The impressive building is made entirely of volcanic rock and was designed by
Rivera himself. It's in the shape of a pyramid, a tribute to Maya and Aztec
cultures.
Museo de Arte Moderno
In Chapultepec Park, at the
corner of Reforma and Gandhi (Chapultepec metro), Mexico City.
Phone 5553-6233.
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-5:30 pm. free on Sunday.
This modern-art museum has permanent exhibitions of Mexican contemporary art by
Rivera, Siqueiros, O'Gorman and Cuevas, to name a few. It also hosts temporary
exhibits from around the world. A pleasant sculpture garden surrounds the
museum.
Museo de Franz Mayer
Ave. Hidalgo 45 (behind
Alameda Central, near the Bellas Artes metro station), Col. Guerrero, Mexico
City.
Phone 5518-2270.
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-5 pm
(Wednesday till 7 pm). Free on Tuesday.
This 16th-century hospital has been beautifully restored and contains an
extraordinary collection of religious art in gold and silver, as well as rare
books and European antiques, which belonged to German collector Franz Mayer.
Museo del Templo Mayor
Seminario 8 (Zocalo metro
station), Centro Historico, Mexico City.
Phone 5542-4943.
Phone 5542-4784 to reserve
an English-speaking guide.
Tuesday-Sunday 9 am-5 pm.
Free on Sunday for Mexican citizens.
In 1978, workmen laying a telephone cable discovered the ruins of the ancient
Aztec capital. Walls of temples and giant sculptures of warriors, the goddess of
the moon and the god of war, along with thousands of other artifacts, suddenly
came to light. The Museo de Templo Mayor, which houses all these treasures, was
built on the site. You can view the excavation from the street level or, as part
of your paid museum admission, English-speaking guides are available at no
charge.
Museo Dolores Olmedo Patino
Ave. Mexico 5843.
Phone 5555-0891.
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-6 pm.
adults, free on Tuesday.
Col. La Noria (in the far
south of the city, about 12 miles from the Zocalo), Xochimilco, Mexico City.
Housed in a renovated 16th-century hacienda, it contains some of the best-known
works of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, as well as pre-Hispanic artifacts.
Museo Frida Kahlo
Londres 247, Coyoacan,
Mexico City.
Phone 5554-5999.
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-6 pm.
The artist's home in the years 1929-1954. She lived there at times with her
husband, Diego Rivera. On display are some of Kahlo's paintings, costumes and
furniture.
Museo Jose Luis Cuevas
Academia 13, Centro
Historico, Mexico City.
Phone 5542-8959.
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-5:30
pm.
free on Sunday for Mexican
citizens.
Housed in a former convent, it has a permanent exhibition of erotic watercolors
by iconoclastic painter and writer Jose Luis Cuevas as well as temporary
exhibitions of contemporary art from around the world.
Museo Nacional de Antropologia
In Chapultepec Park at the
corner of Reforma and Gandhi (Chapultepec metro station), Mexico City.
Phone 5553-6266.
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-7 pm.
If you have time to see only
one museum in Mexico City, this world-renowned anthropology museum is the one to
choose. The most fascinating exhibits include the Aztec calendar stone, giant
stone Olmec heads from the jungles of Tabasco, treasures recovered from a sacred
Maya well, a replica of a Maya ruler's tomb from Palenque and ethnological
displays of rural Mexican life as it is still lived today. It also has a very
good model of the location and layout of Tenochtitlan, which puts present-day
Mexico City in perspective.
Museo Nacional de Arte
Tacuba 8 (Allende metro
station), Centro Historico, Mexico City.
Phone 5130-3403.
Tuesday-Sunday 10:30 am-5:30
pm. free on Sunday.
Temporary exhibitions in addition to its permanent, exhaustive collection of
Mexican art. Another reason to visit is to explore the ornate building,
constructed at the turn of the 20th century in the style of an Italian
Renaissance palace.
Museo Nacional de Historia
In Chapultepec Park on the
corner of Avenida Gandhi, with an entrance on Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City.
Phone 5241-3144.
Tuesday-Sunday 9 am-4:15 pm.
The National History Museum is housed on the grounds of Chapultepec Castle. Also
known as the Caracol (snail) for its winding layout. It is filled with hundreds
of paintings, murals, ceramics, furniture and carriages depicting the history of
Mexico from the time of the Aztecs to the modern day, with an emphasis on the
colonial era and military history. Arrange for a guided tour of the
castle: The rooms and exhibits are more interesting when viewed with some
historical explanation.
Museo Nacional de las Culturas Populares
Ave. Hidalgo 289, Coyoacan,
Mexico City.
Phone 5554-1265.
Tuesday-Thursday 10 am-6 pm, Friday-Sunday 10 am-8 pm. Free.
An excellent place to see
native handicrafts from different areas of Mexico. It also gives you a deeper
understanding of Mexican popular culture, with temporary exhibits about subjects
such as the circus, wrestling and traditional nativity scenes.
Museo Rufino Tamayo
In Chapultepec Park, at the
corner of Paseo de la Reforma and Gandhi (Chapultepec metro station), Mexico
City.
Phone 5286-6519
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-6 pm.
Hidden away in the heart of the Chapultepec forest, this museum can be difficult
to find but is worth the time. Bright and spacious, it has a permanent exhibit
of works by famed Oaxacan painter Rufino Tamayo. Temporary exhibits include both
important international art and lesser-known works by Mexican artists. Most work
leans toward the modernist and cutting-edge.
Papalote Museo del Nino
Constituyentes 268, in the
second section of Chapultapec Park (Constituyentes metro station), Mexico City.
Phone 5237-1781.
Monday-Friday 9 am-1 pm and
2-6 pm, with evening hours Thursday 7-11 pm; Saturday and Sunday 10 am-2 pm and
3-7 pm. IMAX and Domo Digital showings run regularly when the museum is open.
IMAX shows. On weekends, buy tickets early to avoid waiting in line.
Technology meets education in this futuristic park for children and their
parents. There's an interactive science museum where children can play with and
touch exhibits; an IMAX theater with a giant screen showing special
documentaries; the Domo Digital, which takes visitors on a guided tour of the
stars and planets; and the Autobus Fantastico, which takes children on a virtual
trip through wildlife habitats around the world.
Basilica de la Virgen de Guadalupe
Plaza Hidalgo 1 (near the La
Villa metro station), Col. Villa de Guadelupe, Mexico City. Phone 5577-6022
Visitors are welcome to
visit the church 6 am-8 pm. The basilica museum is open 9 am-6 pm. Entrance to
the basilica is free,
This shrine to Mexico's patron saint is one of the holiest places in the
country. It's built on the site where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared
to peasant Juan Diego in 1531. Her image was miraculously imprinted on his
homespun cloak, which hangs behind the altar of the church. The original church
was built in 1709. When it began to sink into the swampy subsoil, a new basilica
was constructed on the same plaza and was consecrated in 1976.
Alameda Central
A lovely green oasis in the heart of the city. Its focal point is the marble
monument honoring 19th-century Mexico President Benito Juarez. The Palacio de
Bellas Artes, on Avenida Juarez, is next to the park. The Alameda is
particularly festive during the Christmas season when it is filled with huge
helium balloons, gift and food stands
Bosque de Chapultepec
The park is bounded by
Avenida Paseo de Reforma and Avenida Constituyentes
Main entrances are across
from metro stops Chapultepec and Auditorio.
Tuesday-Sunday 5 am-5 pm.
Free.
Chapultepec Park is a huge expanse of wooded areas, lakes with paddleboats,
hiking trails, playgrounds, botanical gardens, amusement parks, a zoo and
excellent museums. There are often toy-and-balloon vendors, dancers in ancient
costumes and voladores (men "flying" in circles on ropes attached to the
top of a tall pole). The park is divided into three sections. The first covers
ground from the eastern edge of the park to Boulevard Mateos, the second extends
west from there and the third comprises the westernmost section.
Desierto de los Leones
A small national park in the forested hills about 12 miles southwest of Mexico
City
Take a city bus from
Tacybaya station or a coach from the Observatorio bus station.
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-5 pm.
The main attraction is a
nicely restored 17th-century Carmelite monastery, which now houses a museum.
Inside there's also an elegant cafe. There are several walking trails
through the park, and you can rent horses, too.
Zoologico de Chapultepec
In Chapultepec Park, Mexico
City
Phone 5553-6263.
Tuesday-Sunday 9 am-4:30 pm.
It's crowded on weekends. Free.
The Chapultepec Zoo has
clean, attractive enclosures that reflect the natural habitats of the animals on
display. The primate section is particularly impressive, and the well-designed
layout makes for a pleasant afternoon walk. The zoo boasts the world's first
panda born in captivity.
