Coyoacán

Also known as La Casa Azul, this walled hacienda painted brilliant indigo blue, is where the much-revered Mexican artist spent the last years of her life. Admission includes access to the courtyard, a small series of galleries with ever-changing displays, and the historical portion of the house, which has been preserved from the days when Kahlo was alive. A small snack bar and museum shop are also on the premises, and lectures are given periodically. An iPod tour can be taken for an extra fee.

Artist and muralist Diego Rivera built this structure to serve both as his studio and a museum to hold his collection of pre-Columbian art. The imposing neo-Aztec building sits in a parklike environment that is one of the few wildlife refuges in Mexico City. Guided tours of the main structure in Spanish only are given every hour or so. There is also a small gallery where art, music, and dance lessons, lectures, and concerts are held; check the placard at the entrance for details on what is being offered for the month. Secondary school groups make frequent outings.

Museo Leon Trotsky

Marxist theorist Leon Trotsky was granted asylum in Mexico after being expelled from the Soviet Union, where he settled in Coyoacán in 1936. He continued to be vocally critical of Stalin's policies, however, and four years later he was assassinated in his home. The museum preserves the house in much the condition as it was in Trotsky's last days.

This museum offers homage to the many different indigenous cultures of Mexico, celebrating folk art, music, gastronomy, and more. They also have an impressive bookshop with art for sale from skilled artisans from all over the country.