Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and More: Visiting Mexico City’s House Museums
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I had the privilege of visiting Mexico City’s house museums as part of the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition, a program designed to bring the Smithsonian to you. As an insider who has visited all but one of the museums in the collection, I was excited to share my experience, and I thought I shared with you the best parts.
Where is the house museum you visited?
As you can see, it’s not in Mexico City! I visited the house museum at the Instituto Cultural Mexicano (Spanish: Instituto de Cultura Mexicana) in the Zócalo. For the most part, you can enter the building from the Zócalo. When you exit the building, the Zócalo and the surrounding area of the historic Zócalo are well-signed.
You’re visiting Mexico City’s house museums
What did you learn from the house museums?
Every building has a story, and the house museums in Mexico City tell their stories. Each museum, and each exhibit, tells us about the history of Mexico, the people who built and lived in the houses, the events that occurred in the houses, and the people who lived there.
The Instituto Cultural Mexicano houses two houses museums: Museo del Antiguo Coliseo and Museo Chac Mool. Both of these houses are located within the historic Zócalo, and can be seen from the streets inside the Zócalo.
Museo del Antiguo Coliseo
The Museo del Antiguo Coliseo, or Museum of the Old Gym, is located within the historic Zócalo. Built by General Junípero Serapié de Canales y Rodríguez in 1844, the building’s architecture is both
