Designed by Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez, the National Museum of Anthropology is Mexico’s largest museum and houses the largest collection of ancient Mexican art in the world. Each of the 23 permanent exhibit halls is dedicated to a different cultural region or indigenous group, offering an in-depth look at the country’s history. Because of the museum’s size and the breath of the collection, many visitors need more than one day to explore it all.
The museum is wheelchair accessible, and wheelchairs are available in the lobby at no additional cost.
All bags, backpacks, umbrellas, and packages must be checked before entering the exhibit halls.
The use of flash photography is not allowed in the museum.
The National Museum of Anthropology is located on Avenida Paseo de La Reforma and Calzada Gandhi in Chapultepec Park (Bosque de Chapultepec), on the edge of the Polanco district. The Chapultepec and Auditorio metro stations are nearby, and the museum is a stop on the Turibus route, Mexico City’s hop-on hop-off bus service.
Even though this museum is the city’s most visited, its vast size allows enough room to accommodate the crowds without feeling cramped. On Sundays, Mexican residents receive free admission, so you’ll most likely encounter the most visitors then. Note that the museum is closed every Monday.
Just south of the National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park, Chapultepec Castle is famous for being the only castle in North America to have housed royalty. Named after the Aztec word chapoltepēc, meaning “at the grasshopper’s hill,” the impressive hilltop structure is home to the National History Museum (Museo Nacional de Historia). The museum’s permanent collection includes paintings, documents, artifacts, and clothing from different periods in Mexican history and serves as a venue for concerts and theater productions.
