Home » Special Features » The World’s Best » Best Museums Mexico City
These can’t-miss museums offer an array of attractions designed to mesmerize art addicts and curious gallery-goers alike. Distinguished by their modern art masterpieces, architectural triumphs, oddball collections, or undeniable cool factor, these are the best-in-class museums in the world’s hottest cities.
Best Museums in....
Best Art Spaces
Mexico City
Museo Nacional de Antropologia Chapultepec Park, Polanco, 55.5553.6381
The Draw: It’s one of the best anthropology museums on earth, showcasing Mexico’s pre-Hispanic roots and colorful indigenous heritage. The Scene: Mexicans from all over the country and tourists from across the globe make the National Anthropology Museum a must-see during their visit to the capital. The massive building and interior courtyard designed by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez are themselves architectural wonders, and the exhibitions won’t disappoint. The first floor displays the history of pre-Hispanic Mexico, while the second floor showcases the ethnology of Mexico’s people through full-scale models of indigenous life. There’s also an inviting cafe. Tue–Sun 9am–7pm. $ Hot Tip: This museum is vast. If you are crunched for time, focus on the Mexica salon at the end of the first-floor gallery, then the Mayan salon if time allows.
Museo Soumaya
Plaza Loreto, Altamirano 46, San Angel, 55.5616.3731 soumaya.com.mx
The Draw: The brilliant private art collection of Carlos Slim’s daughter comprises six centuries of art, including Rodin sculptures, French Impressionist paintings, works by European masters like El Greco, and a gallery of modern Mexican paintings. The Scene: Although this museum is set in an upscale outdoor mall, most of the patrons are affluent and well informed, recognizing the quality and abundance of art, including the largest collection of Rodin sculptures (130 pieces) in Latin America. Mon, Wed–Thu 10:30am–6:30pm, Fri–Sat 10:30am–8:30pm. $ Hot Tip: Bring a sweater; it’s chilly inside the museum.
Museo Tamayo Chapultepec Park, Polanco, 55.5286.6519 museotamayo.org
The Draw: This is a sophisticated modern art museum showcasing the work of Rufino Tamayo and his contemporaries. The Scene: Hidden inside Chapultepec Park, this building was completed in 1981 by Mexican architects Teodoro González de León and Abraham Zabludovsky, and won the National Architecture Prize. The open, airy space holds many of Tamayo’s own works along with those of Picasso, Francis Bacon, and Henry Moore. Tue–Sun 10am–6pm. $ Hot Tip: On the last Wednesday of the month, the museum hosts a jazz concert, followed by an optional night tour on the city’s Turibus.
