Mexico: Museums, history and chinampas

In Mexico City, important chapters of Mexican history meet remarkable collections and art venues. The Templo Mayor tells of the religious and political world of the Mexica; museums preserve archaeological finds and works of art, while the Casa Azul offers insights into Frida Kahlo’s life and work. The chinampas of Xochimilco add a different dimension: a distinctive landscape, partly protected, has been preserved there. Those planning a trip to Mexico can choose between different focuses, from archaeological history and art to landscapes.

Temple history and collections

The Templo Mayor was the religious and political center of the Mexica. Preserved features include the Tzompantli altar, the House of the Eagles and the monolith of the goddess Coyolxauhqui. The temple was expanded seven times. Its final version was about 45 meters high and stood on a square base measuring approximately 400 meters on each side. These figures give an impression of the scale of the complex at the time, without conflating its different construction phases.

The Museo del Templo Mayor opened on October 12, 1987. It preserves more than 7,000 objects from the Proyecto Templo Mayor excavations, as well as remains of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan and neighboring buildings. Agriculture is also part of its thematic scope: this includes the Mexica chinampa system and the reclamation of land from the lake. This makes it possible to connect the temple’s history with questions about how the Mexica used their surroundings.

The Museo Nacional de las Culturas del Mundo offers an international perspective. Its archaeological, historical and ethnographic collection comprises more than 17,000 objects of international origin. The Museo Nacional de Historia, in turn, preserves the history of Mexico from the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521 to the Mexican Revolution in the second decade of the 20th century. Visitors can therefore choose between archaeological finds, cultures from around the world and a wide-ranging overview of Mexican history.

Art, architectural history and Frida Kahlo

The Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes was Mexico’s first museum of fine arts and is considered the origin of the Mexican museum system. Seventeen murals by seven national artists are on permanent display there; the museum also hosts temporary exhibitions and numerous activities for all visitors. The Palacio de las Bellas Artes, for its part, is one of Mexico City’s significant public buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum and the building represent different aspects of artistic life: the history of an institution and the importance of a public building.

The Casa Azul in Coyoacán was home to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera from 1931 onward. It opened as a house museum in 1958. Personal belongings and Kahlo’s artistic legacy offer visitors the opportunity to explore her life and work there. The site complements the art collections with a biographical perspective. When planning your trip, it may therefore help to consider whether you would rather focus on archaeological history, art institutions or the personal story of an artist.

Chapultepec Castle also served several historical functions. Construction began in 1785, during the term of the Viceroy of New Spain, Bernardo de Gálvez, as a country house for recreation. Later, the castle served as a military college, the imperial residence of Maximilian and Charlotte (1864–1867), and a presidential residence. This succession of uses makes the site another way to explore Mexico’s political and institutional history.

Getting around and exploring the landscape

The Museo Nacional de Antropología can be reached by metro via Auditorio station on Line 7 or Chapultepec station on Line 1. If this museum is on your itinerary, these two stations can help you plan your route. Choose your arrival station according to which of the two metro lines you want to use for your museum visit.

The Pyramid of Fuego Nuevo, atop Cerro de la Estrella, offers a different perspective on the city, with panoramic views of Mexico City. The chinampas of Xochimilco, known as floating gardens, are also located near Mexico City. They still exist; parts of this semi-natural, semi-artificial landscape are now an ecological protected area. In addition to museums and historic buildings, visitors can therefore choose to explore the landscape and the distinctive relationship between nature and human design.

Discover more areas

The subordinate areas include Valle De Bravo Valle De Bravo, Temoaya Temoaya, Temascalapa Temascalapa, Ixtlahuaca Ixtlahuaca, Ecatepec De Morelos Ecatepec De Morelos, Tejupilco De Hidalgo Tejupilco De Hidalgo, Polotitlán Polotitlán, Tlanepantla Tlanepantla, Naucalpan Naucalpan, Ixtapan De La Sal Ixtapan De La Sal, San Pedro Totoltepec San Pedro Totoltepec, Toluca De Lerdo Toluca De Lerdo, Huixquilucan De Degollado Huixquilucan De Degollado, Tepotzotlán Tepotzotlán, Temascaltepec De González Temascaltepec De González, Xico Xico, Nezahualcóyotl Nezahualcóyotl, Malinalco Malinalco, Atlacomulco De Fabela Atlacomulco De Fabela, Metepec Metepec, San Antonio Bonixi San Antonio Bonixi, San Rafael San Rafael, Buenavista Buenavista, Villa Del Carbón Villa Del Carbón, Emiliano Zapata Emiliano Zapata, San Miguel Ameyalco San Miguel Ameyalco, El Pedregal El Pedregal, San Antonio San Antonio, Texcoco De Mora Texcoco De Mora, San Martin Azcatepec San Martin Azcatepec, Calixtlahuaca Calixtlahuaca, Ocoyoacac Ocoyoacac, Cuautlancingo Cuautlancingo, San Joaquín San Joaquín, San Pablo Atlazalpan San Pablo Atlazalpan, Tezoyuca Tezoyuca, San Lorenzo Coacalco San Lorenzo Coacalco, San Isidro San Isidro, Municipio Ayapango Municipio Ayapango, El Cerrillo El Cerrillo, Papalotla Papalotla, Zacualpan Zacualpan, San Felipe del Progreso San Felipe del Progreso, Chapultepec Chapultepec, Chiconcuac Chiconcuac, San Buenaventura San Buenaventura, Juchitepec de Mariano Rivapalacio Juchitepec de Mariano Rivapalacio, Municipio San Martín de las Pirámides Municipio San Martín de las Pirámides, Ixtapaluca Ixtapaluca, Cuautitlán Izcalli Cuautitlán Izcalli, El Oro El Oro, Tenancingo Tenancingo, San Juan Teotihuacan de Arista San Juan Teotihuacan de Arista, Amecameca Amecameca, Cuautitlan Cuautitlan, Tonatico Tonatico, Tenango del Aire Tenango del Aire and Jocotitlán Jocotitlán.

For the parent travel overview: Mexico.