10 of the Best Museums in Mexico City and How To Visit

You could spend a full day in this renowned temple to Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past without any trouble. It’s so big—and well-known—that it’s been listed on Mexico City museum guides since its opening in 1964. And these days, the National Museum of Anthropology is as good as ever—the cantilevered roof, a large umbrella-like structure that shelters the central plaza, is breathtaking upon entry, and exploring the various cultures and thousands of relics will charm even those usually uninterested in history. Don’t skip the second floor, which focuses on the ethnography of Mexico’s many Indigenous communities.

Don’t miss: The 20-ton (2,000-kilogram) Aztec Sun Stone (Piedra del Sol) depicts the creation of the universe, and is one of the museum’s most recognizable artifacts.

In the center of Mexico City lies the Zócalo, officially the Plaza de la Constitución, a massive public plaza that is surrounded by relics of three “cultures” of Mexico’s past: that of the pre-Hispanic Aztecs, the Spanish colonizers, and the modern Mexican republic. The pre-Hispanic part of that equation is the Templo Mayor, or what’s left of it after the Spanish ordered the cultural and religious heart of the Aztec city demolished. Now the site is well-excavated, though, and the attached museum allows you to walk through parts of what was once a glorious world capital.

Don’t miss: The ruins include the “tower of skulls” (Huey Tzompantli), a collection of more than 600 skulls from people sacrificed to the gods.

Like in many places around the world, local artisans and craftspeople are only recently getting the attention they deserve as artists in Mexico. The Museo de Arte Popular shows traditional crafts of various peoples who call the country home, and it also displays more contemporary work—much of which has become iconic in its own right, such as the colorful small wooden animals called alebrijes that are available at every souvenir shop around town. The highlight, though, is the room dedicated to Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), which includes enchanting tributes, often with tongue-and-cheek imagery and creative skeleton displays.

Don’t miss: The gift shop features a variety of handicrafts from Mexican artisans, allowing you to bring a piece of the art home.

Luis Barragán was the first Mexican architect to win the prestigious Pritzker Prize, and a visit to one of his projects scattered around the capital will quickly convince you of his merit. The best for first-timers, though, is a veritable Mexico City museum highlight. Casa Gilardi, situated in the stylish San Miguel Chapultepec neighborhood just a block from Chapultepec Park (Bosque de Chapultepec), is still privately owned by the original family for whom Barragán designed the space. Marvel at the bright colors of yellow, pink, and purple that are thoughtfully placed throughout the complex. Visit in spring for best viewing: that’s when the jacaranda tree in the central courtyard is in bloom. Reservations are required.

Don’t miss: The home features an indoor pool structured so that a striking beam of sunlight cuts across the wall and into the water. Book your tour in the mid-morning to get the full effect.

The building itself is a landmark in Mexico City, with its sunset-colored dome and prime location overlooking the Alameda Central in the Centro Histórico. But get inside for a performance of opera, an art exhibition, or something else, and you’ll feel why it’s a beating heart of the city’s art scene. Plan to stick around to explore the interior, covered in statues and murals created by the leading figures of Mexican modernism, including Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and Rufino Tamayo. Stately, beautiful, and ever-evolving, there’s always a good reason to visit the Palace of Fine Arts—or just take a few pictures.

Don’t miss: Pay attention to the stained-glass Tiffany curtain that depicts the majestic peaks of the Itzacchihuatl and Popocatepetl volcanoes.

Any excuse to visit sprawling University City in the south of the metropolis is a good one, as it’s home to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and is full of awe-inspiring public art. But MUAC reigns as one of the best museums in Mexico City over and above its surroundings. Set in a stunning building that was recently renovated, the institution plays host to an exciting, international collection of contemporary art. It makes a point of highlighting traditions of student protest, and it takes its role as a community learning center seriously with regular workshops and sessions in multiple languages.

Don’t miss: Admission is half-price on Sundays—just grab your tickets at the museum box office. (Many museums in Mexico City have reduced or free entry on Sundays.)

Rufino Tamayo is one of the most well-known Mexican painters, and he helped to define mid-century art in the country and throughout the world. After his death, his wife Olga and he bequeathed their extensive collection of contemporary art to the Mexican state. The Tamayo Museum that they founded still hosts some of Tamayo’s own paintings, often colorful, shapeshifting tributes to the landscapes and beings of his native country. But they also arguably have the most inventive rotating exhibitions of contemporary art in the country, with shows that run the gamut of medium, tone, and time period.

Don’t miss: Take a look around the museum’s architecture as well as the art. The building was designed by Mexican architects Teodoro Gonzales de Leon and Abraham Zabludovsky and takes inspiration from pre-Hispanic pyramid structures.

The Jumex Museum is—as the name suggests—funded by the Jumex Corporation, the country’s largest juice maker. It sits next to the better-known Soumaya Museum, and both of these top-rated Mexico City museum attractions are free for all visitors. The Jumex is, however, host to revolving exhibitions from some of the biggest names in contemporary art, in contrast to Soumaya’s focus on an eclectic personal collection. The building itself, too, is more welcoming—designed by Sir David Chipperfield, each floor has large windows, while Soumaya can be dark and confusing to navigate. If you only choose one on your trip to the Polanco neighborhood, choose the Jumex.

Don’t miss: Along with its rotating exhibitions, the museum houses an impressive permanent collection of contemporary art, including two Warhol prints and photography by actor/director Dennis Hopper.

Perched at the top of Chapultepec Park, the Chapultepec Castle was the home of the short-lived viceroy of the Spanish Empire—and is the only royal castle inhabited by a monarch in all of North America. Visit for the sweeping views of the metropolis, including Paseo de la Reforma, the Historic Center, and the volcano of Ajusco in the far south. Inside, you’ll find the remnants of the royal dynasty here, as well as exhibitions about the US invasion of Mexico City and the niños heroes (“heroic boys”) who sacrificed their lives against them from a redoubt on the peak.

Don’t miss: Catch the train around Chapultepec Park (Bosque de Chapultepec), which runs on weekends, for a fun and scenic look at the grounds before heading up the hill to the Castle.

The National Museum of Art (often abbreviated MUNAL) is housed in a magisterial building in the Historic Center of Mexico City. For art before 1950, this is the place to be—see collections that highlight early landscape and portrait paintings from the Spanish colonial era all the way up to the burgeoning modernist movement that took Mexico by storm in the middle of the 20th century. The museum is a great place to cap off your visit to the city, as it displays a wide range of art that traces the painting history of the country.

Don’t miss: Book a guided tour of MUNAL such as this one for greater insight into the art and history with a bilingual guide.