Backpacking in Mexico: 19 Totally Free Museums In Mexico City (2022)
Posted: May 18 2022 | Tagged: Mexico
In no particular order, 19 free museums in Mexico City. That's free for everyone and free every day.
I have a follow up post with 9 more museums and art galleries that you can visit for free though a few might only be free on selected days. So make sure you check out that post.
I have a follow up post with 9 more museums and art galleries that you can visit for free though a few might only be free on selected days. So make sure you check out that post.
There are so many free museums in Mexico City. Here I list 19 of them that are totally free to visit. That's free for everyone and free every day.
Many museums (and archaeological sites) across Mexico have free entry for Mexican citizens and foreigners who have residency papers on Sundays. Some are free only on selected days, even for foreigners. These are NOT included in this blog post. These will be detailed in a separate blog post at a later date.
Just wanna add, that I have come across many blogs that detail FREE museums in Mexico City and include the Frido Kahlo museum and the Museo Nacional de Antropología.
These are ONLY free for Mexican citizens and foreigners with residency papers and only on Sundays. So in essence, they are not really free: not free for everyone and not free every day which, in my opinion, should never be listed as 'free'.
Misleading is a term that comes to mind.
But let's continue:
The 19 museums with free entry detailed here, have been visited personally, sometimes with Miss CDMX and sometimes alone, in May 2022. This required going back to a few of them again.
I will not crawl the web for museums or anything else for that matter and then create blog posts from the comfort of the sofa. Everything is from first-hand experience and involves lots of leg work; the price of bringing you a blog without the bullshit, a blog that can be trusted.
I have created several albums on my Facebook page from all of the museums listed below so make sure to check them out and don't forget to follow me.
Many museums (and archaeological sites) across Mexico have free entry for Mexican citizens and foreigners who have residency papers on Sundays. Some are free only on selected days, even for foreigners. These are NOT included in this blog post. These will be detailed in a separate blog post at a later date.
Just wanna add, that I have come across many blogs that detail FREE museums in Mexico City and include the Frido Kahlo museum and the Museo Nacional de Antropología.
These are ONLY free for Mexican citizens and foreigners with residency papers and only on Sundays. So in essence, they are not really free: not free for everyone and not free every day which, in my opinion, should never be listed as 'free'.
Misleading is a term that comes to mind.
But let's continue:
The 19 museums with free entry detailed here, have been visited personally, sometimes with Miss CDMX and sometimes alone, in May 2022. This required going back to a few of them again.
I will not crawl the web for museums or anything else for that matter and then create blog posts from the comfort of the sofa. Everything is from first-hand experience and involves lots of leg work; the price of bringing you a blog without the bullshit, a blog that can be trusted.
I have created several albums on my Facebook page from all of the museums listed below so make sure to check them out and don't forget to follow me.
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1. Museo Banco de México
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The Bank of Mexico Museum showcases the workings of a bank and the printing process of banknotes with a fine collection of banknotes from Mexico and around the world.
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 11 am to 5 pm, closed Monday. Location: Av. 5 de Mayo 2, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, Mexico. Check out the official website: Museo Banco de Mexico. |
2. Centro de la Imagen
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The Image Center is located in an old tobacco factory. When I visited there was an exposición by Chicago born Mariana Yampolsky "entre cuerpos extraños".
Open: Wednesday to Sunday 11 am to 6 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday. Location: Plaza de la Ciudadela 2, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc, 06040 Ciudad de México, Mexico. Check out the official Centro de la Imagen website. |
3. Museo del Telégrafo
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A look back at the history of telecommunications in Mexico. The museum is located in the Cuauhtémoc City Hall which was built between 1904 and 1911.
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5:30 pm Location: Calle de Tacuba 8, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Cuauhtémoc, 06010 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
4. Salón de la Plástica Mexicana
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The Hall of Mexican Fine Arts is located in a former mansion in the Roma Norte district promoting Mexican contemporary art. At the time of my visit, there was an exposición by Susana Campos.
Open: Monday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday 10 am to 4 pm Location: Colima 196, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
5. Museo Panteon de San Fernando
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The San Fernando Cemetery is one of the oldest and most preserved cemeteries in the whole of Mexico. It was in use between 1832 and 1872 and it is here that you will find the resting places of many prominent Mexicans such as former president Benito Juárez.
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 11 am to 5 pm, closed Monday. Location: Plaza de San Fernando 17, Cuauhtémoc, Guerrero, 06300 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
6. Museo del Estanquillo
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Established in 2006, it houses the private collection of Carlos Monsivais a Mexican philosopher, writer, critic and political activist, featuring toys, photographs, books and paintings.
Open: Wednesday to Monday 10 am to 6 pm, closed Tuesday Location: Isabel La Católica 26, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, Mexico. Check out the official Museo del Estanquillo website. |
7. Museo de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público
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Located in the former Palacio del Arzobispado with an 'exposición permanente' "Hacienda es Patrimonio" and exposicións temporal by Federico Silva and Rafael Coronel
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm, closed Monday. Location: Moneda 4, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Cuauhtémoc, 06000, Ciudad de México, Mexico. Check out the official https://sic.cultura.gob.mx/ website. |
8. Foro Valparaíso
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Located in The Palace of the Counts of San Mateo de Valparaíso which dates from 1772 and is the most significant example of Baroque architecture in Mexico City designed by architect Francisco Guerrero y Torres.
Open: Wednesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday. Location: Venustiano Carranza 60, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, Mexico. Check out the official Valparaiso website. |
9. UNAM Palacio de la Escuela de Medicina Museo de la Medicina
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The former Palace of the Inquisition was the Mexican school of Medicina for 100 years from 1854 to 1954 and has been used as the Museum of Mexican Medicine since 1980.
Open: Monday to Friday 10 am to 3 pm. Location: República de Brasil 33, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Cuauhtémoc, 06010 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
10. Espacio Escultórico UNAM
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A great Sculpture Park on the grounds of the UNAM university. Well worth the visit. There are 2 sections, on either side of the road. And I did a separate blog post about my visit to the Espacio Escultórico UNAM.
Open: Monday to Friday 8 am to 4 pm. Location: Centro Cultural Universitario, Mario de La Cueva, Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
11. Museo De Los Ferrocarrileros
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The Railway Museum is located in the former station building of La Ville, the only original building still in existence.
Opening times vary. But in general, most museums are closed on Mondays. I backpacked the Museo de Los Ferrocarrileros last year but made a revisit for this new page, just to make sure the museum hadn't been converted into a Starbucks or McDs. Location: Alberto Herrera/Aquiles Serdán, Aragón La Villa(Aragón), Gustavo A. Madero, 07000 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
12. Museo Nacional de la Cartografía
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The National Cartography Museum of Mexico City is located in the Templo de San José, the former convent of San Diego built in 1686, near the Tacubaya Metro station.
Open: Tuesday to Saturday 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday 9 pm to 4 pm, closed Monday. Location: Av Observatorio 94, Miguel Hidalgo, Tacubaya. 11870 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
13. Museo Soumaya
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Named after Soumaya Domit, the wife of Carlos Slim, the founder of the museum and is the flagship museum of the Carlos Slim Foundation. On the top floor, you'll find the largest collection of sculptures by Auguste Rodin outside of France which for me is the highlight of the Soumaya Museum.
Open: 10:30 am to 6:30 pm every day Location: Blvd. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Granada, Miguel Hidalgo, 11529 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
14. Museo Soumaya-Casa Guillermo Tovar de Teresa
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The second museum that's part of the Carlos Slim Foundation features the art collection of Mexican historian, bibliographer and philanthropist, Guillermo Tovar y de Teresa.
Open: 10:30 am to 6:30 pm every day Location: Valladolid 52, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
15. Museo Soumaya Plaza Loreto
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This was the original site for the Soumaya Museum until it was moved to Plaza Carso in 2011.
Open: 10:30 am to 6:30 pm every day Location: Av. Revolución y Rio Magdalena - Eje 10 Sur, Tizapán San Ángel, Álvaro Obregón, 01090 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
16. Museo de la Cancillería
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The Chancellery Museum, Mexico City's leading contemporary art museum is located in the former chapel of San Felipe Neri. When I visited there were two exposicións, Larissa Barrera and Lorena Camarena.
Open: Monday to Saturday 11 am to 5 pm, closed Sunday. Location: República de El Salvador 47, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
17. Zona Arqueológica Tlatelolco
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Located at the Plaza de las 3 Culturas, a partially preserved archaeological site discovered in 1960, at the scene of the October 2 1968 massacre where the Mexican army opened fire on unarmed civilians.
Location: Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas, Tlatelolco, Cuauhtémoc, 06900 Ciudad de México, Mexico. |
18. Ex Teresa Arte Actual
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Located in the former convent of Santa Teresa la Antigua, which dates back to the early 1600s. A rather unique exposición 'Tiempo Suspendido' by Bill Viola April 28 - August 28, 2022. Definitely worth a visit!
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 11 am to 5 pm, closed Monday. Location: Lic. Verdad 8, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Cuauhtémoc, 0600 Ciudad de México, Mexico For up to date details on current expos, check out the official https://inba.gob.mx website. |
19. Zona Arqueológica Cuicuilco
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Cuicuilco was one of the first large religious civic centers in the Mexican Altiplano and was occupied for more than 1000 years from 800BC to 250 AC and once had 20,000 inhabitants.
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 9 am to 5 pm, closed Monday. Location: Av. Insurgentes Sur s/n, Espacio Ecológico Cuicuilco, Tlalpan, 14060 Ciudad de México, Mexico. Getting there and away: Take the CDMX Metrobus line1 #1 to Villa Olimpica |
Opening times correct as of May 2022.
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