Downtown Mexico City has been an urban area since the pre-Columbian 12th century, and the city is filled with historical buildings and landmarks from every epoch since then. It is also known as the City of Palaces, because of the large number of stately buildings, especially in the Centro. In addition, Mexico is the city with the largest number of museums in the world without taking into account art galleries, with New York #2, London #3 and Toronto #4.
parks
Mexico City is full of various plazas and parks scattered through every neighborhood, but the following are some of the biggest, prettiest, most interesting, or best-known.
Chapultepec Park and Zoo
Paseo de la Reforma. Is a large park of 6 km² in the middle of the city which hosts many attractions, including the city zoo and several museums such as the Modern Art Museum, the Museum of Anthropology, the Children's Museum Museo del Papalote, the Technology Museum, the Natural History Museum and the National Museum also known as Castillo de Chapultepec, the former residence of the Austrian Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg. Nearby Metro station: "Auditorio" Line 7, Orange.Xochimilco
a vast system of waterways and flower gardens dating back to Aztec times in the south of the city where tourists can enjoy a trip in the "trajineras" vividly-colored boats. Trajineras pass each other carrying Mariachi or marimba bands, and floating bars and taquerias. Xochimilco is the last remnant of how Mexico City looked when the Spanish arrived to Mexico City in 1521 and it was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987.Plaza Garibaldi-Mariachi
in Mexico City is surrounded by bars and restaurants that cater to Mariachi Band enthusiasts. It is where bands come to do public auditions outside, on weekend evenings, simply play for pleasure, or for whoever may pay them. A visit to Mexico is not complete until you experience the fantastic Mariachi Bands. You can also find a great "pulqueria" here a bar that sells pulque, an interesting fermented maguey cactus drink.Parque Mexico and Parque España
are two adjacent parks in the Colonia Condesa, which used to be part of a race track. Now they are popular for an evening stroll, and sometimes house outdoor exhibitions or concerts, and are surrounded by cool cafes and bars.Viveros de Coyoacán
are a large expanse of greenery and trails that used to be divided into privately owned gardens and farm plots, but is now a public park popular with people joggers and amblers alike.
museums
Mexico is the city with the largest number of museums in the world, to name some of the most popular:
National Museum of Anthropology
Chapultepec. One of the best museums worldwide over, it was built in late 1960âs and designed by Pedro RamÃrez Vázquez. Notice the huge, impressive fountain in the courtyard. It gathers the best collection of sculptures, jewels and handcrafts from ancient Mexican cultures, and could take many hours to see everything. They also have interesting international special exhibits.Plaza de las Tres Culturas
in Tlatelolco has examples of modern, colonial, and pre-Columbian architecture, all around one square.Museum of Modern Art
Chapultepec. Here you will find paintings from Frida Kahlo, Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo, as well as a sculpture garden.Dolores Olmedo Museum
Xochimilco. An art philanthropist left her former home, the grand Hacienda La Noria, as a museum featuring the works of her friend Diego Rivera. At least 137 of his works are displayed here, as well as 25 paintings of Frida Kahlo. The premises also feature beautiful gardens full of peacocks and a weird species of Aztec dog.Fine Arts Palace Museum (Palacio de Bellas Artes)
Centro. A concert hall and an arts center, it houses some of Mexico's finest murals and the Art Deco interior is worth seeing alone.Rufino Tamayo Museum
Chapultepec. Contains the works of Mexican painter, Rufino Tamayo.José Luis Cuevas Museum
Centro. Opened in 1992 and is filled with about 1,000 paintings, drawings, and sculptures from notorious artist, Jose Cuevas.National History Museum in Chapultepec's Castle
Chapultepec. The Museum's nineteen rooms contain, in addition to a collection of pre-Columbian material and reproductions of old manuscripts, a vast range of exhibits illustrating the history of Mexico since the Spanish conquest.Papalote, children's Museum
Chapultepec. If you've got kids, they'll love it! Bright, colorful, and filled with educational experiences for children of all ages.Universum (National University's Museum)
Coyoacán. A science museum maintained by UNAM, the largest university in Latin America. Take some time to wander around the Campus.Casa Mural Diego Rivera
Centro. Contains murals of acclaimed artist, Diego Rivera.National Palace (Zocalo)
Centro. You can see some impressive Diego Rivera frescoes. You'll need to carry some sort of ID in order to enter the building.San Idelfonso Museum
Centro. There are some of Orozco's best frescoes. The temporary exhibitions are usually very good.Franz Meyer Museum
Centro. Display the collections of Franz Mayer, it holds Mexico's largest decorative art collection and also hosts temporary exhibits in the fields of design and photography.Mexico City's Museum
Centro. Great place to learn about Mexico City's eclectic history.Templo Mayor Museum (Zocalo)
Centro. Contains the ruins and last remnants of the Aztec empire. attached to the huge archeological site where the foundations of the temple were accidentally found in the 1970s.San Carlos Museum
Centro. The San Carlos Musuem holds some of Mexico's best paintings and exhibit 15th and 16th century paintings.National Art Museum
Centro. The National Art Museum, houses a rich collection of Mexican art ranging from the 16th to the first half of the 20th centuries.National History Museum
Chapultepec. Displays a vast range of exhibits illustrating the history of Mexico since the Spanish conquest.Frida Kahlo Museum
Coyoacán Also called Casa Azul, it is the former house of the painter since she was born to her death, and full of some of her works, and many of her personal artifacts.Anahuacalli Museum
Coyoacán An impressive modern representation of Mayan architecture, it houses Diego Riveraâs collection of Aztec and other precolumbian cultures' sculptures.Leon Trotsky Museum
Coyoacán This was the house where Trotsky lived in exile during the last 1.5 years of his life, and was murdered by one of Stalin's agents. Guided tours are provided by members of the Workers/ Revolutionary Party.