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Photo: Henryficar, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A colonia in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City, on the western edge of the Centro Histórico and the Zona Rosa. This area was developed in the early 1900s with a mix of mansions and upscale apartment buildings, but its fortunes had declined by the end of the 20th century and the area is a bit rough at night with seedy characters engaged in prostitution, drug dealing, and petty crime, though it is generally safe during the day. The neighborhood has a bohemian character with several old cantinas. The neighborhood was once the refuge of Fidel Castro and his supporters who plotted their Cuban Revolution in local cantinas. The most famous attractions here are the Monument of the Revolution (with a large historical museum), the San Carlos National Museum, and the Jai-Alai Fronton Mexico.
Colonia Tabacalera is a colonia or neighborhood in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City, on the western border of the city's historic center. It was created in the late 19th century along with other nearby colonias such as Colonia San Rafael and Colonia Santa María la Ribera. From the early 1900s, it became a mixture of mansions and apartment buildings, with major constructions such as the now Monument to the Revolution and the El Moro skyscraper built in the first half of the century. By the 1950s, the area had a bohemian reputation with writers, artists, and exiles living there. These included Fidel Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara, who met each other and began planning the Cuban Revolution there. Today, the colonia is in decline with problems such as prostitution, crime, street vending and traffic. However, the area is still home to some of the many traditional Mexican cantinas that populated it in its heyday.
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Housed in a striking 1902 iron-and-glass building by Enrique Norten, this UNAM-managed museum in Santa María la Ribera focuses on contemporary art. It features rotating exhibits of avant-garde works, performances, and workshops. A cultural hub with a modernist vibe.
This museum was built to house Diego Rivera's famous mural Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central ('Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central'), which the painter created for the Hotel del Prado in 1947-1948. The hotel was destroyed in the earthquake of 1985, but the mural survived and was moved to this location. The museum also hosts permanent and temporary exhibits.
Museum of Folk Art
The Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City is a vibrant showcase of folk art from every Mexican state, housed in a stunning 1920s art deco former fire station designed by Vicente Mendiola. Spread across three levels and five thematic halls, it displays crafts like Chiapas carnaval masks, Oaxaca alebrijes, regional costumes, and Day of the Dead artifacts. An illustrated wall map highlights Mexico’s regional traditions. Even museum skeptics and kids love its colorful exhibits, and the ground-level shop offers unique, high-quality handicrafts.
Eclectic art museum that straddles the line between traditional artistic styles and the worlds of modern and contemporary art. The museum focuses on works that reflect the history and changing cultural values of Mexico City, a unique collection in a city crowded with outstanding arts venues. The museum itself is housed in a historic building, originally the Hospedería de Santo Tomás de Villanueva, but known to generations of Mexicans as the Hotel Cortes, the building was extensively restored and updated prior to the opening of Museo Kaluz in 2021. Roof top terrace with peaceful gardens and a popular cafe.
This is one of Mexico City's premier exhibition spaces for photography, with rotating exhibits of work by Mexican and international photographers. The center also has a small bookstore.
Architecturally unique and utterly fascinating restored neoclassical mansion from the Porfiriato era of the 19th century with period furnishings. Guided tours (in Spanish).