Mexico City is said to have one of the longest lists of museums in the world. I thought that my readers would appreciate a quick summary of as many of the museums as possible. I am still working on the 100+ plus, list but here is your first installment. Check bck frequently for updates.
Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporanea – Tues to Sun 10-6, 70p (Sundays Free)
Every time I enter the Tamayo I am a little blown away. You transverse from the work of forgotten Jewish female poets to performers hanging upside down on giant jungle gyms to retrospectives on artists like Chilean Juan Downey. There are usually at least two temporary exhibits, sometimes three and though I don’t always understand everything, I always find it fascinating. Tamayo was, of course, in with the Mexican muralist crowd, but he was less of a purist, incorporating and appreciating many European styles into his work. He amassed a huge collection of contemporary art pieces in his lifetime and the museum has gone on to expand that collection.
Insider Tip: Weekends can be packed, on a weekday you will have the place more to yourself if you really want to spend time wandering
Added Bonuses: An incredible giftshop with locally-designed jewelry, clothing and other little knick-knacks, and one of the best restaurants (the outdoor patio is my choice) along the Reforma’s museum strip.
Museo de Arte Moderno – Tues to Sun 10:15-5:30, 70p (Sundays Free)
Maybe my favorite museum in the city? But I love modern art wherever I find it, so take that for what it is. First of all its architecture never fails to make me swoon and the tiny seating area tucked underneath the sweeping stairwells and arches is perfect for a post-art rest. The sculpture gardens in the back can’t be missed, and they have this incredible art research library on site that you can access if you are researching a project.
Their permanent collection includes pieces from the 1920s until the present with lots of famous names – Rivera, Izquierdo, Kahlo, both Bravos, Carrington, Tamayo and more – plus they have the largest collection of Remedios Varo in the world (who is by far my favorite surrealist painter of all time). That said, the temporary exhibits sometimes incorporate these giants and sometimes take on completely different modern artists from Mexico and around the world, everything from shadowboxes to sculpture to photography.
Insider tip: Don’t bring water with you, they’re unusually strict for some reason, instead get a coffee or something small to eat in their café in the garden.
Added Bonuses: You can easily get through the museum in under an hour or linger for several.
Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL) – Tues to Sun, 10 – 5:30, 70p (Sundays free)
The National Museum of Art is housed in one of my favorite buildings in the city. Gorgeous and decadent, it was built Silvio Contri and decorated by the Coppedé family of Florence. Stepping inside is taking a break from the mayhem of the Centro Histórico, and the Plaza Tolsa out front which is often the scene of city protests.
Their permanent collection highlights all types of Mexican art from the beginning of the colonial period on with the range you can imagine from that description – painting, sculpture, abstract, realism. They have been the recipients of various pieces by some of Mexico’s heaviest hitters – Velasco, Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros – and those items pop up within temporary exhibits as well. Temporary exhibits run the gamut from things like the history of sculpture in Mexico to the political cartoons of engraver Jose Guadalupe Posada.
Insider tip: take time to sit on one of the benches that circle the main courtyard and take in the architecture.
Added Bonuses: Their fantastic bookstore and the fact that the restaurant El Cardenal is right next door, make an excellent breakfast-museum combo.
Museo Nacional de Arquitectura – Tues to Sun 10-6, 50p (Sundays free)
Located on the top floor of the Bellas Artes the Architecture Museum is a pretty small exhibit space wrapped around the wide, central air shaft of the building. It provides nice views of the gorgeous Bellas Artes building. The last thing I saw there was an exhibit celebrating 60 years of Mexico City’s metro and while I loved looking at the old photos, I found the curation and the information a little lackluster. Still, it’s such a short little stomp through this museum, if they are announcing an exhibit that sounds interesting to you it’s probably worth a peek.
Insider Tip: It’s a good amount of stairs, if you have mobility issues take the elevator. Sundays are free so they are generally packed, weekdays are more chill.
Added Bonuses: The hyper-detailed, dollhouse-like mock-up of the Bellas Artes building that you can peer into from the front and back.
Museo de Chocolate (MUCHO) – Mon to Sun 11-5, 75p (Café opens at 9)
One of the only museums I have found that is open on Monday, but that is by far not only the reason to go there. I love MUCHO because it’s small and delicious, with displays that tell the history of cacao, endemic to Mexico, and its changing role throughout the country’s development. There are ALL KINDS of items made out of chocolate including a room with chocolate wallpaper that might make you pass out from the olfactory pleasure. This museum is housed in one of those old neoclassical gems in the Colonia Juarez and the bottom floor is home to their café which serves chocolate from all over Mexico.
Insider Tip: Definitely stop in the cafe to sample chocolate from different parts of the country.
Added bonus: The café has wi-fi and is a great place to take a laptop and work for a few hours whilst sipping hot chocolate.
Museo Jumex – Tues to Sun 10-7, 50p
One of the best contemporary art spaces in the city. The Jumex brings both Mexican and International contemporary artists to their extremely versatile and cavernous space in Polanco. I think the curation here is particularly good, with rooms seamlessly transitioning into the next and art equal in quality to what you might see in New York or Chicago. The Jumex has featured artists like John Cage, Franz Erhard Walther, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Jeff Koons, Fred Sandback, and more. This is another spot with a great bookstore to browse.
Insider tip: It’s complicated to get here by public transportation, the least painful thing to do is take the metro to the Polanco stop and take a cab from there (or walk if you have the time).
Added Bonuses: Soumaya is right next door if it’s on your list to visit. They have a little café there that’s nice.
Museo del Objecto del Objecto – Tues to Sun 10-6, 50p
Started by publicity guru Bruno Newman in 2010, the MODO is one of those hidden little gems in Colonia Roma that people stumble upon without knowing that it’s a great museum, with excellent curation, and located in one of the only buildings officially designated at Art Noveau in the entire city (out of a total of eight). Their exhibits focus on everyday life in Mexico with particular importance given to objects (hence the name, The Museum of the Object of the Object). Past exhibits have included things like the history of color in Mexico, Lucha Libre memorabilia, kitchen utensils from the 1960s and tons of other whimsical concepts. Those things might sound weird but trust me when I say the museum always makes it come together.
Insider Tip: Just around the corner is Rosetta bakery and the Rio de Janeiro park for a post-museum break.
Added Bonuses: A great giftshop which includes copies of my book for sale!! But seriously… they have tons of kitschy stuff, mostly Mexican-designed, that you will be hard-pressed not to purchase.
Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo Museum) – Tues to Sun 10-5:30, 230p
Any die-hard fan of Frida’s or even the slightly curious will like this look at the house she shared with Diego Rivera in the 1930s and 40s in Coyoacan. My favorite parts by far are the tiny clay pots hung in patterns on the kitchen walls, the sun-drenched studio with its books, and the cluster of art, dolls and little knick-knacks that sit on the shelves of Frida’s room. The addition of the annex in the back of the property in 2004 for me was a fantastic extra.
One of the house’s bathrooms was opened 50 years after Frida’s death and all of Frida’s personal items – jewelry, make-up, braces, clothing, hairpins, shoes, you name it – spilled out. You can now see them all in the annex. Due to Frida’s meteoric rise in popularity these past few years, the Blue House is no longer the casual stroll it once was. The crowd is large most days and keeps you moving through the house at a clip.
Insider Tip: Definitely get your tickets online in advance and don’t go on a weekend if you don’t like crowds.
Added Bonuses: Frida’s garden was the shooting location for Spencer Tunick’s “The Fridas,” a group of naked “Fridas” shot in 2007.
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Casa Studio Luis Barragán – Mon to Fri 10-5, Sat & Sun 10-1, 400p
Modern architecture and art lovers will want to make the time to purchase tickets to the Luis Barragan House. I had my moments in the Barragan house. Some of the elements that he plays with in terms of color and geometry I loved, but there was a general monastic feeling that I couldn’t shake, like a Saturday afternoon in my grandparents house as a kid. Still, I think that those appreciative of his work will want to see it. The gardens and his studio were my favorite part.
Insider Tip: They charge 500 pesos to take photos and if you don’t want to pay you have to leave your phone in a bag at the reception – do with that what you will. Check out the archive next door for a weird/cool collection of Mexican art and design.
Added Bonuses: The tiny bookstore has some cool guides and architecture books related to Mexico City, there are several good contemporary art galleries nearby to make it a day of art (in particular Kurimanzutto.
Soumaya Museum – Sun to Fri 10:30-6:30, Sat 10:30-8, Free
One of my least favorite museums in the entire city, but I add it here because I know people always want to see it. Truthfully, the museum’s impressive architecture is the best thing about it. It is the gorgeous, shining anvil designed by Fernando Romero and people LOVE to take selfies in front of it, so go ahead, join in.
The museum itself is various circular floors holding the private collection of Carlos Slim, the richest man in Mexico (and in the world?). While he has a few big names, there is an entire collection of small scenes and statues carved out of ivory animal tusks and an excessive collection of bloody religious art that just turns me off the whole museum.
Insider Tip: This is also not easy to get to by public transportation, see the note for the Jumex above.
Added Bonuses: You tell me, I can’t seem to find any
Museo de Cera – Mon to Sun 11-7, 140p
People love wax museums and I admit they are slightly amusing, still not my thing. The wax museum in Mexico City is in Colonia Juarez in a monster of a house and is somehow connected to the Ripley’s Believe it or Not next door (I am not even reviewing that one since they are pretty much the same all over the world).
The museum has several dedicated rooms that include an entire section on past Mexican presidents, important artists (Kahlo is in there, so is Dalí), pop stars (Justin Bieber and Shakira), famous Mexican personalities (like Cantinflas), world figures like the Dali Lama and Bill Gates as well the presidents of other countries around the world. The basement is supposed to be spooky wax figures, but it really only seems cheesy unless I guess, you are six years old. The house itself is pretty lovely and I suppose is a way to waste an hour of your day if you have an extra.
Insider Tip: Expect LOTS of selfie-taking.
Added Bonuses: There is a great mixiote taco stand right down the street on the corner of Bruselas and Genova. It’s open on Mondays.
Museo de Arte Popular (MAP) – Wed 10-9, Thurs to Tues 10-6, Closed Mondays, 60p
The Museum of Popular Art is another one of my favorites. It’s right downtown in next to the Alameda but I still think a lot of people miss it when they visit. They have three floors of toys, handicrafts and other forms of popular art made throughout the history of Mexico. So… dancing masks, alebrijes, shadowboxes, wooden toy… they’ve got all that stuff. They are also the main supporter of the big alebrijes display every year during Day of the Dead and often have one in front of the museum or inside in the main courtyard. That central courtyard always has some kind of larger-than-life beauty as its focus.
Insider Tip: Take the kids, they will love it.
Added bonus: A fantastic gift shop filled with examples of all the things I mentioned and more.
More on the way!
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