If you're only going to visit one place in Mexico City-I feel the Museum of Anthropology has to be…read morea top 2 or 3 contenders of must-visit spots. It truly is an incredible place-let me tell you why. When we planned our trip to Mexico City,the one place I wanted to visit was all the famous taco shops-what can I say,I'm a simple man. The wife though,a native of Mexico and much more classy and refined person than I am,insisted that the number one place we had to visit on our trip to Mexico City was this historic museum. She was right of course. I was thinking that we would go there,spend an hour or two looking at some old statues and ruins and be on our way to the next Mexico City taco adventure.Boy was I wrong,she had earmarked an entire morning and afternoon for our visit to the museum and it wasn't enough. This place didn't seem like much from the outside but once you got in,it was truly mind blowing.It's a really big museum,covering in excess of 10 acres. The museum is split into 23 galleries exploring all five major eras in Mexico history starting with the Prehistoric period dating back to 10,000 BC all the way up to Modern Indigenous Mexico which runs from around 1500 to present. This museum covers an enormous amount of time in Mexico's history. Some of the true highlights from my visit. -The Aztec Sun Stone-most likely the most famous piece of Mexico's history. -The Olmec Colossal Heads-Truly breath taking works,visually stunning. -The Maya Galleries-A true display of how advanced the Mayan people were in science,engineering & art. -The Aztec Hall-easily my favorite gallery,the Aztec people were so advanced of a society and this hall does it best to show you all the ways that they were-a must-see exhibit. -The Umbrella Fountain-this sits in the middle of the main courtyard and truly is one of the great works of architecture Mexico has ever produced-it's so cool to see! The museum is located in the heart of Chapultepec Park,so be sure when going to the museum,your driver drops you off at the correct side of the park or else you will be in for a very long walk to the museum. The museum does have a pretty extensive gift shop,so if one is so inclined, it's very easy to find a souvenir or two to bring home. This review has barely scratched the surface of what you are going to experience when you visit this amazing museum,I truly hope if you ever find yourself in Mexico City,you are lucky enough to visit this truly amazing place.

I don't think I have ever been to a museum and whole heartedly enjoyed the exhibits. Comparing free…read moreor low admissions places, the exhibits featured here were a super eye wowing curated experience. From the large pieces to the the colorful cultural ones, I really enjoyed the experience. It was nearing the afternoon and this place was vast enough to exhaust us to which caffeine was highly needed. Going on the weekend will have you queue in the entrance, ticketing, bag check-in, and gift shop lines for a little bit.

A lovely experience. Many items in the home remain intact as well as furnishings where she spent so…read moremuch of her life and including the studio. They also preserved some of her clothing items which are on display. The unexpected tribute was a song by Patti Smith on the wall as you exit her room. Divine intervention. It's hard to imagine Frida's tenacity and determination to make her art and live life to the fullest. She is a lesson to us all. What a triumph. A must see if you go to Mexico City.

(Review based on 3.5 stars)…read more I am so glad that I had done my research about visiting Museo Frida Kahlo prior to coming because you must purchase your tickets online in advance (one to two weeks at least but it is better to purchase earlier if you are able). You will not be able to purchase the day before or the day of online because those tickets would have already sold out. And just as everyone has said, this museum does not sell any tickets at the door. Please note that you will be purchasing timed tickets and you have a short 15 minute window to arrive or you miss your time slot. But if you are after the 15 minute grace period, staff will just put you in the next time slot. I think I am in the minority here with my overall experience of the Museo Frida Kahlo in which I did not like it as much as I had expected. The home and grounds itself is beautiful and I just as I would have imagined visiting an artist's home, it was beautifully and tastefully decorated/ displayed. But placement of items and information boards were not well spread out and so it would bottleneck and get crowded in places. Also people would get really close to me and rub against me or my small purse, which I really was not a fan of (I really value my personal space). Frida Kahlo did live quite a tragic life and she truly was a resilient woman who could have spiraled downward but instead, she channeled her energy into art. But I will say it was rather disappointing that you do not learn much about her life in this museum and would learn more with your own reading online (from a credible source) or from school. In Frida Kahlo's home, I did love the kitchen the most. I loved how it was decorated with these little tiny cups to create a design on the wall and also to spell out both Frida and Diego's name. A building outside of her home is where there is a display of her clothes was actually what I enjoyed the most of this museum. I also preferred the restrooms on this side over the other restrooms closes to the exit of her home. Our visit was fine and am glad I was able to come. But I don't know if I would necessary consider this a must visit if you are visiting Mexico City. It is nice that your purchase of this museum also includes admission to Anahuacalli Museum, Diego's museum but it focuses on his sculptures and not his murals that you may know him more of. And also those tickets for his museum expire in one year. Lastly, after visiting here, consider walking to Mercado Coyoacán, which is about a 10 minute easy walk if you want to grab lunch and do a little browsing and shopping.

Going to Mexico City for the first time as an adult meant that just about everything I was going to…read moreexperience was going to be new. Going to Castillo de Chapultepec was definitely one of those things. Visiting this historic place was not even on my radar, if not for the wife's insistence that visiting this place was a "non-negotiable" -- I probably would've skipped it. I'm so glad I didn't as I would say after my visit to the Anthropology museum, also located in Chapultepec, this was my second most favorite spot I visited on my wonderful trip to Mexico City. The castle is located at a top of a pretty decent hill in Chapultepec, so be prepared to walk a bit to get to the castle. The fee to get into the museum is pretty low, it's about 210 pesos/$12 USD for foreign visitors and about half of that cost for locals.On Sundays locals get in for free. They have a pretty strict bag policy as backpacks aren't allowed, though they do provide lockers at the entrance for 10 pesos for rent. Now let's talk about the castle inside. It's amazing. It's so full of art pieces from so many famous Mexican artists. It has many famous Mexican historic murals. It is also full of many Mexican historic decorative art pieces from the 19th century. What I think I liked the most is the vast amount of beautifully crafted stained glass throughout the castle. It's breathtaking. The pure history of this castle is just out of this world. The hill the castle was built on was sacred to the Aztecs. This was the residence for Emperor Maximilian. Many presidents of Mexico called this castle home. It has served as a military academy and was the site to one of the most famous battles in Mexican history, Ninos Heroes. For a short time it was even an observatory. Those are just some of the many fascinating facts you learn while visiting this incredible historic place. There is so much history, art, architecture and culture packed into Castillo de Chapultepec that it's almost impossible to take it all in during one visit. I went because my wife insisted. I left wondering why I had never put this place on my radar in the first place. No trip to Mexico City would be complete without a visit to Castillo de Chapultepec.

Worth putting on your itinerary for CDMX. Love the architecture of this beautiful castle. The…read moreentrance de for foreigner is $210 pesos (~$10 USD). You can pay at the kiosk and not have to wait in line. To get to the castle, you will have to walk to the top of the hill. CDMX has a much higher elevation than where we're from so you feel altitude sickness particularly when walking up the steps. Recommend to bring some shades as it does get hot when the sun is out. Amazing views, overlooking the city. You can take your time exploring the inside of the castle and the garden area. It wasn't too crowded when we were here or didn't feel like it since it's pretty big.

The outside of museum will for sure captivate your attention…read more The museum is big and best thing that they have the largest Rodin works outside Paris. They have different art pieces from around the world. The best thing it's free admission to everyone. Definitely a must to do

What a great museum! Thank you for providing free access to beautiful art!…read more Do not sleep on this museum if you love impressionist art, post-impressionist, Daumier, Rodin, Mondrian, Siquieros! They even had a few of my all-time favorite, Sorolla! There was Lebanese art, Mexican art... What a treat. The architecture was simply beautiful. We spent a full 2 hours and really enjoyed our time here. Small bags only. Backpacks and drinks need to be checked in. Come early when the museum opens and there likely won't be lines.

The Palacio de Comunicaciones y Obras Públicas (now home to the National Art Museum) is one of…read moreMexico City's finest examples of early 20th-century eclectic architecture. Designed by Italian architect Silvio Contri, the building beautifully blends European grandeur with advanced engineering of its time. The moment I walked in, I almost forgot about the exhibits. The real masterpiece was the building itself--the breathtaking triple-height, semi-circular marble staircase with its elegant sweeping curves, the intricate ironwork, and the stunning ceiling frescoes. Sometimes the architecture tells the story better than any artwork hanging on the walls. I could have spent hours just looking up, walking around, and taking in every detail.

Loved this entire museum which was fairly empty mid day aound New Years. In an old public works…read morebuilding with stunning architecture. It is try about the staff being a bit uppity about the way I was walking clockwise and had me go around the small room the other way, but that is fine. A leisurely paced walk thru so many small and inviting rooms, I find this to be more satisfying that a huge cavernous & endless room filled with many people standing in front of you. It was not free but so reasonable like 100 pesos pp. I enjoyed seeing the history of Mexico and glimpses of everyday life through the artwork, some of the artists I was familiar with. Highly recommended, and right across from the Post office building, another gem.

I visited the Palacio de Cultura Banamex a week or so ago when I was visiting Mexico City for a few…read moredays. Right in the heart of Centro Histórico, it's a stunning and imposing building. That's because it has a long and interesting history! The large residence was built in 1785 by the Count of San Mateo Valparaíso as a wedding gift for his daughter. It gained the name Palace of Iturbide because Agustín de Iturbide lived there and accepted the crown of the First Mexican Empire (as Agustin I) at the palace after independence from Spain. In later years, the building served as the College of Mining, a hotel, and home of Banamex Cultural Foundation. In 2002-2004, the building was renovated and restored. It reopened as the Palacio de Cultural Banamex and now hosts temporary art exhibits and art workshops. When I visited the Palacio, they had two very interesting exhibits: "Copa de Arte Popular Banamex" and "Barro y cerámica en México. Poéticas de lo utilitario." The former is an exhibit of popular art and the World Cup - there were some amazing pieces in this exhibit. The latter exhibit was the larger exhibit on the main level, and it also had some amazing works. The museum was a little busy - it's free and surrounded by other amazing tourist attractions in Centro Histórico - but it has great exhibits in an incredible building. It's definitely worth exploring if you're in the neighborhood.

El Palacio de Cultura Banamex is a historic building just a block from the Zocalo, which celebrates…read moreMexico's art and cultures. This beautiful building is owned and runned by one of Mexico's most popular banks, Banamex. The building has been transformed into an open concept gallery where people can enjoy of beautiful art exhibits for free. My husband and I had the opportunity to see an art exhibit called "Los Maestros" (the masters), which highlighted some of the best artisans in central and south Mexico. Each "maestro" specializes to one specific type of craft, from a region/state in Mexico. My favorite were definitely the "arboles de la vida"; they had so much detail and color! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone near the zocalo. It is a great stop if you are walking Madero towards Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Estaba con un amiga de mi trabajo y decidimos pasar un poquito de tiempo juntas por que quería yo…read morepasar tiempo con ella ya que tenía que salir de viaje así que aproveche en que salgamos y encontré este lugar que es un museo muy bonito con costos variados ya sean individuales grupales o por vistas por secciones antes de eso preferimos comer algo afuera del museo se encuentra un espacio muy cómodo y agradable fuera del estruendo de la ciudad.

I've been to the Museum of Tolerance back home in LA, and we decided to come check out this museum…read morein Mexico City. When we came here, they were having a special exhibit on Anne Frank, which was separate from the main exhibit/tour that the museum offers. We decided to purchase access to both exhibits, and went on the standard museum exhibit first. I can tell you that the folks who designed this museum did a phenomenal job. The main exhibit focused primarily on World War 2, talking about the rise of the NSDAP and the propaganda it sued. Through the many rooms and passageways, the story was told up until the end of the war. As a WW2 history buff, I was shocked to see photos, news articles, and stories that I have not seen before. This, along with the design and presentation, made for an captivating experience. You really do feel the intensity of the topic, and you begin to feel how bad those times were. Toward the end, the museum had information on other genocides that took place in the 20th century. The one that I found the most captivating was the one talking about the Cambodia Genocide, perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge. Once we were done with the main exhibit, we took an elevator to the second floor to check out the Anne Frank exhibit. This part of the museum had an in depth presentation on the Frank family, as well as the lives of the other people who hid with them (Fritz Pfeiffer and the Van Peels). It went as far as talking about Anne's grandparents, and goes into Otto's life after the war. It was touching and thought provoking. I was very impressed by this museum. They did a phenomenal job with the presentation. I recommend it!

The museum was OK nothing amazing The inside of the Palacio…read morewasnt impressive neither. The outside was under renovation for FIFA event so it looks horrible It has a lot of modern art works. I personally didn't like it too much.

So when planning this trip to Mexico City-the wifey kept saying how she wanted to make sure we went…read moreto some Bellas Artes place that I had never heard of-so on our 1st unplanned day of the trip-I grabbed an Uber and we headed straight for Palacio de Bellas Artes. As soon as I saw the place I could instantly see why she was so excited.This place is a gorgeous majestic building. It's located right next to a very large park,Alameda Central and very close to the Zocalo. It's a very busy part of town-so be prepared for crowds outside of the building. Once inside it's a lot less crowded and this beautiful building is just as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. One thing I did not know about this beautiful art museum is that it is also Mexico City's most famous performing arts center as well. My wife told me about a very famous Juan Gabriel concert that was held there in the 90s.Through the years most of the most famous artists in Mexico have performed at Bellas Artes. Today we are here for the art as this is Mexico City's most famous art museum and after walking thru all 4 floors of the museum,one can definitely see why. Diego Rivera's most famous murals are housed in this museum and they are truly breathtaking.I truly felt proud of my Mexican heritage upon seeing these amazing works of art. Jose Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros have many of their most famous pieces at this museum as well. Anyone looking for Frida Kahlo work though will be disappointed as her work is not permanently featured at this museum. Cost for admission to this museum is 95 Pesos Tuesday thru Saturday and free admission for everyone on Sundays.They are closed on Mondays. In closing,I 100% recommend all visitors to the amazing Mexico City's must make Palacio De Bellas Artes a must-visit destination.It is truly a gem of the city and one of the most memorable experiences the city has to offer.

The history in this part of Mexico City is incredible. If you're visiting, you should absolutely…read moremake time to stop at Templo Mayor--it gives you a completely different understanding of the region. Templo Mayor was the central temple of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, which once stood in the middle of Lake Texcoco. After the Spanish conquest led by Hernán Cortés, the city was destroyed, and much of its stone was reused to build what is now the Metropolitan Cathedral and surrounding colonial structures. What's fascinating is that the ruins remained hidden for centuries. The first parts of the ruins were discovered during construction work in the 1970s and earthquakes in the 1980s revealed more of the remains. Standing here, you really feel the layers of history. Within a short walk, you can see modern Mexico City, Spanish colonial architecture like the cathedral, and the exposed Aztec ruins--all in one place. It's a powerful visual of how this city has evolved over time. If you made the trip to Mexico City, don't skip this stop. Even just walking through the area gives you a sense of history spanning from the Aztec empire, through Spanish colonization, to the present day. It's an experience that really stays with you.

Built initially in the early 14th century, Templo Mayor aka the "Main Temple" sits in the middle of…read morewhat was originally the geographic and religious center of the capital city of Tenōchtitlan, when it was still an island city in the middle of Lake Texcoco. As a sacred site for the Mexica peoples, the structures erected here were dedicated to two deities--Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture. A shrine was built for each at the top of the temple on the main pyramid. From archaeological analysis, the temple was rebuilt six times, with the largest expansion under Mocteczuma I in 1454, though in 1521 the majority of the building was destroyed by Spanish colonizers when the whole city was razed and rebuilt following Spanish occupation. Notably the Metropolitan Cathedral which stands today adjacent to this site was one of the buildings which were built over it. By the 19th century the exact location and history of this sacred precinct had been lost but toward the end of the 1800s part of the temple corner was uncovered. However there wasn't an official organized effort to excavate and preserve the site until 1978-82. In 1987 the site became listed as an UNESCO world heritage site and a museum was built to house its artifacts and findings. When I was there in January I didn't go into the museum though walked around the edges--they've done an excellent job framing it with walkways along the west side, so it's somewhat of a public park. There are a few small scale models of what the precinct would've looked like in different eras, and a dedicated viewing platform. With entry to the museum you get closer access into the site with some walkways within the site itself. The entrance to the museum is free for Mexican citizens and 95 pesos for foreigners. Three floors with eight main exhibition halls focused on the deities, rituals (including human sacrifice), the role of the temple in economics and trade of the time, and flora and fauna of past Mesoamerica. In excavations more than 7000 objects were found and work continues on the site today.

Enjoyed visiting and discovering the work of Diego. The level of detail and creativity that went…read moreinto this piece was amazing. Highly recommend

This is a pretty simple museum but I'd highly recommend it while in CDMX. It's a small fee and it's…read morea fairly quick stop so if you're headed to the Palacio De Belles Artes, this is a must-see as well. The Rivera mural is one of his largest and most well known and it's amazing to see from ground level, as well as the second story. Bonus- there is an exhibit for Jorge Gonzalez Camarena on the second level that shows off some of his incredible work. I didn't know about Camarena before this trip and now I can't get his work out of my head. Really amazing stuff.