10 Best museums in Mexico City

You don't have to wait until International Museum Day to visit museums in Mexico City. Within the city you can find different options to delve into Mexican culture.

Visiting cultural and historical sites is one of the best things to see and do in Mexico City, so I invite you to visit places like the Archivo de la Fotografía Museum, the Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo and the Museo Jumex. Another option to learn about history is the National Museum of Anthropology, which houses one of the most important pre-Hispanic art collections in the world, but is also one of the most visited museums in the country.

Since 2005, the space that is now known as the Casa de la Memoria Metropolitana, was inaugurated as the Museo Archivo de la Fotografía in Mexico City, which is undoubtedly one of the best museums in the city.

But beyond its name, the importance of this museum lies in the fact that it is dedicated to preserving the photographic memory of the city throughout the 20th century. Inside the museum you will be able to appreciate crucial moments in the history of the city, from the improvements in its infrastructure to the traditions and typical customs of its inhabitants.

The museum has different exhibition rooms, where its collection of photographs of the masked faces in Mixquic commemorating the Day of the Dead stands out, as well as the impressive photographs of the representation of the Passion of Christ in Iztapalapa. You can also see different temporary exhibitions and photojournalism, which may vary according to the season of the year.

Details of interest

• Price: Admission is free, so you don't have to pay anything to visit it.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday between 10:00 and 18:00.
• Location: It is located in República de Guatemala, number 34, Centro.

In the Mexico City Museum, located in an 18th century baroque building that used to be the Palace of the Counts of Santiago de Calimaya, you can admire balconies with wrought iron railings, semicircular arches, lions, gargoyles and a shell-shaped fountain with a mermaid playing the guitar. In this museum you will find information about the history, art and themes related to the capital of Mexico.

If you go on a tour around Mexico City, this is a stop you cannot miss, since when you enter the main patio, you will be able to appreciate trucks from 1923, taxis from the XVII century and a carriage from the XVIII century that complement the museum's theme. You will also find a workshop dedicated to the impressionist artist Joaquín Clausell, who worked there and used the walls of his room as canvases, mixing paint on the spot and creating pieces from these stains.

Details of interest

• Price: You will have to pay just over 2 euros per person to enjoy this museum inside.
• Opening hours: You have the opportunity to enter the museum from Tuesday to Sunday between 10:00 and 18:00.
• Location: Its exact location is Pino Suárez number 30, in the centre of Mexico City.

Inside the MAP 's intelligent building you can see the most representative collection of Mexican folklore. Previously, the space was the headquarters of the General Police Inspectorate and the Fire Brigade Headquarters of the city, but nowadays it houses outstanding material of Mexican folk art at controlled temperature and humidity. Inside you will find four permanent rooms where you can enjoy its contents.

Mexico City has ensured that the MAP is a modern and interactive site with the capacity to captivate people of all ages. You will find many screens and computers with interactive content, but you can also take guided tours with characterisation. Without a doubt this is one of the places you have to include if you are going to sign up for a bike tour in Mexico City.

Interesting details

• Price: Entrance to the museum costs approximately 2 euros per person.
• Hours: You can visit this place from Tuesday to Sunday between 10:00 and 18:00.
• Location: The museum is located at Revillagigedo number 11, in the Historic Centre of Mexico City.

In the heart of what was once the Santa Teresa La Antigua convent, today is the Ex Teresa, a contemporary art laboratory. This space mainly hosts temporary exhibitions of performance and audiovisual installations. You can enjoy a unique experience inside the chapel and the neoclassical foyer, which have been adapted to be the main exhibition rooms of the museum featuring a dome with religious stained glass windows.

Although the place is enigmatic and mysterious due to its rich past and design, the quality of the exhibitions presented is very high, so you will love to visit it. In its experimental exhibits, you will find unique pieces such as an empty jar "filled" with "frontier air" or a wall nailed with beer cork sticks.

In general, it is one of those experiences that you should include in your tour of the city, thanks to the fact that it is one of the best things to see and do in Mexico City, thanks to the high quality of its exhibitions and the interesting proposal in each of the exhibits.

Interesting details

• Price: You don't need to pay anything to enter the museum because it has free entrance.
• Hours: You can visit this place from Monday to Sunday between 10:00 and 6:00.
• Location: The museum is located on Lic. Verdad Avenue, number 8, in the Historic Centre of Mexico City.

Since 1992, the Real y Más Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso has been a cultural space that has also hosted some of the most memorable temporary exhibitions the city has ever seen. Inside the space you will be able to see a wide variety of exhibitions that include colonial, modern and contemporary art. In addition, inside you will find murals by renowned artists such as Jean Charlot, David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera's first mural, "The Creation".

Before visiting, you should also know that recently, the place has hosted exhibitions such as the giant hyperrealist sculptures of Ron Mueck or the paintings of Marilyn Manson, pieces of great artistic importance. But the museum's activity is so extensive that inside you can also enjoy workshops and conferences that complement the exhibitions, and some activities that take place during the evenings, so it certainly stands out as one of the best places to visit in Mexico City at night.

Interesting details

• Price: You will have to pay around 2,50 euros per person to enter the museum.
• Hours: The museum is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 19:30, also from Wednesday to Sunday between 10:00 and 17:30.
• Location: The museum is located at Justo Sierra 16 in Centro.

Inside the Museo del Estanquillo, you will have the opportunity to learn about the work of Carlos Monsiváis, who was a contemporary writer and chronicler of Mexico City. In addition, you will learn how his passion for popular culture spread through art and the corners of the city.

In the three halls of the museum you will be able to recognise more than 20 thousand pieces that pay homage to Carlos Monsiváis and his love for cinema and reading through photographs, paintings, posters, texts, engravings and even miniatures. One of the most interesting things you can see in the museum are the thematic exhibitions that in a way bring you closer to the most significant moments in the writer's life.

You will also like to go up to the museum's terrace from where you can have a panoramic view of the Historic Centre, but you can also enjoy this space and the different free activities that are presented there. In the reading room you will find one of the most significant pieces of the museum, the "gaturna", a cat-shaped urn where the writer's ashes are kept.

Interesting details

• Price: Admission to the museum is free, which means that you don't need to pay anything to visit it.
• Opening hours: You can visit this museum from Wednesday to Monday between 10:00 and 17:40.
• Location: The museum is located on Isabel la Católica street, number 26 in the centre of Mexico City.

The Women' s Museum was presented 15 years ago to the UN, thanks to the project of the Mexican Federation of University Women and since then it has been offering temporary exhibitions that change every three months and show the achievements of women throughout history.

You will also be able to see inside the museum, different permanent rooms where the themes of gender equality, the dual cosmovision present in ancient Mexico, freedom and education are explored. In addition, to give dynamism to the exhibitions, the museum continuously changes the characters that star in them and uses videos to tell stories of women who have been transcendental in the history of Mexico.

Additionally, you will see that the centre functions as a venue to present books, conferences, workshops, concerts and film screenings. The Museo de la Mujer building is a space that holds quite a bit of history, as it is a site that was formerly the headquarters of the printing press.

Details of interest

• Price: You will have to pay just over 1.5 euros to enter the museum.
• Opening hours: You can enter from Tuesday to Sunday between 10:00 and 18:00.
• Location: You can find this museum at 17 República de Bolivia Street in the centre of Mexico City.

If you are interested in learning and understanding economics and finance in a more enjoyable and entertaining way, a visit to the Museo Interactivo de Economía is a must. The building is a former convent that was bought by the Banco de México during the 1990s and was not only restored, but also adapted to become one of the most internationally renowned interactive museums.

Inside this space you can learn about economics, finance and sustainable development like nowhere else. You will also find inside a room dedicated to the necessary balance between economic activity and care for the environment. What makes this museum unique is its commitment to technology as a tool for interaction. Here you will not find overwhelming and inaccessible information, but an enriching and dynamic experience.

Interesting details

• Price: You will have to pay around 5 euros per person, while children under 3 years old enter for free.
• Hours: You'll be able to visit this place from Friday to Sunday between 11:00 and 17:00.
• Location: The museum is located in the Antiguo Convento de Betlemitas, on Tacuba Avenue number 17, right in the Historic Centre of Mexico City.

The National Museum of Art is one of the most important and emblematic museums in the country, and inside you will find a wide range of contemporary art from Mexico City. To begin with, in front of the museum is one of the most iconic statues of the city, the equestrian statue of Charles IV of Spain, better known as "El Caballito".

Behind this majestic statue is the former Palace of the Secretariat of Communications and Public Works. Upon entering the museum you will find impressive sculptures made in marble, of obvious French influence, since they bear names such as "Malgré Tout" by Jesús Fructuoso Contreras, or "Après l'orgie" by Fidencio Lucano Nava.

Without a doubt this place is a true treasure of the history and culture of the city, and is one of those places you should visit if you stay in Mexico City for 2 days or more, because it is worth a visit to learn more about its fascinating history and admire its architectural beauty.

Interesting details

• Price: You will have to pay around 4 euros per person to enter this museum.
• Opening hours: The opening hours of this museum are from 10:00 and 17:30 and from Tuesday to Sunday.
• Location: This museum is located at Tacuba street number 8 in the centre of Mexico City.

The Papalote Children's Museum is an incredible place to live an unparalleled multimedia experience with all its exhibits. During this adventure you will discover the complexity of life and the interconnection of the human being with the world around him. You will be able to see different modules, the first one being dedicated to the human body, where you will be able to explore the human anatomy and how it works mechanically to stay healthy.

Then you will find the area called "Living Mexico", where you can appreciate the biodiversity of the whole country and learn about the importance of its ecological systems. You will also find other sections such as "My home and my family", where you will discover a little more about networks and how they connect to create strong and united societies.

This museum is especially dedicated to children, who can also discover an area dedicated to the "Laboratory of Ideas", where they can enhance their creativity and problem-solving skills through science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Within this space children are free to draw, make and invent with a variety of materials and tools in an environment that encourages teamwork.

Details of interest

• Price: To enter the museum you will have to pay around 10 euros per person, while to enter the mega-screen and digital dome areas you will have to pay just over 5 euros.
• Opening hours: You can enjoy this attractive museum on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9:00 and 18:00. Thursdays from 9:00 until 11:00, and Saturdays and Sundays between 10:00 and 19:00.
• Location: The museum is located on Constituyentes Street, number 268, in Daniel Garza, Mexico City.