Museums in Mexico City

Imagine setting out from your downtown Mexico City hotel or a good breakfast nearby with a choice of five museums within walking distance.

When I go to Mexico City, I stay right in the city's historic center, fascinating in itself and a hub for other explorations. Two budget hotels are the funky but well-run Hotel de Montecarlo on Calle Uruguay and the glitzier Hotel El Salvador on the street of the same name. The Hotel Gillow on Cinco de Mayo costs somewhat more, the Rioja on the same street a few dollars less (beware, it does not honor reservations). You can find the whole range of hotels in the downtown Zocalo and Alameda areas.
Even though a visit to the National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park- near the top of almost every first time Mexico City visitor's list-means going by taxi, bus or metro, other museums of great interest have the advantage of being closer..

At this point, you may be wondering about safety in a city with a reputation for both high culture and crime. Will you be risking your life or your backpack if you go to Mexico City to eat, drink and visit the museums there? My experience is no.The risks are avoidable if you follow a few simple precautions as you would in any big city. At the end of this article, you'll find several safety suggestions but first on with the show.

In Mexico City, Mexico's cultural capital, whether you stay near the Zocalo or Alameda, the main problem is where to go first. I opt for the Zocalo itself - Mexico City's great plaza has been a show since early times. One of the best sights of all is seeing the Cathedral loom in front of you as you emerge from the ZOCALO metro stop. At newsstands in the area, you can pick up a copy of Tiempo Libre (8 pesos), a weekly magazine of events that comes out fresh on Thursdays. // NOTE: Except for the Iturbide Palace (Centro Cultural Banamex) that closes on Tuesdays, the museums listed are open Tuesday through Sunday, closed on Mondays.

TEMPLO MAYOR MUSEUM

Heading for the Cathedral, then turning right, you'll be at the Templo Mayor, the ruins of the most important ceremonial center in prehistoric Mexico City, uncovered by construction workers in 1978. Here you will be at the ceremonial center of Tenochtitlan, as Mexico City was called when it was the capital of the Aztec realm. Next to ruins now only hinting of the pyramid that existed, you'll find the TEMPLO MAYOR MUSEUM, well worth visiting in itself or as an introduction to the Anthropology Museum. Inside is the large stone disk honoring the goddess Coyolxauhqui and a dozen small galleries featuring Aztec tools, masks, jewelry, plants and so on. (Metro: ZOCALO)

CENTRO CULTURAL DE ESPAѐA

A two-minute walk along Calle Guatemala, which goes along the side of the Cathedral from the Templo Mayor, you'll come to the CENTRO CULTURAL DE ESPAѐA, a new center for exhibits devoted to the contemporary Hispanic world. This museum is lively, up to date. Walking along the spiraling interior ramp past exhibits, you'll end at the rooftop café with a fine view of the Cathedral. On a recent visit, I saw a rapid-fire slide show of Mexican food - in markets, along the street, being prepared, from close up and far away. For as long as it lasts, the exhibit can be a either a preview or a review, depending on your experience of Mexico. Several other exhibits displayed the history of corn, prints by Peruvian artists, and a gathering of Mexican cooking pots. Another museum destination good for relaxing. [Metro: ZOCALO]

ALAMEDA FOR THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART

If you're an art lover, head toward the Alameda for the National Museum of Art (MUNAL) at Tacuba 8. The imposing building first served as President Porfirio Diaz as his place to greet visiting dignitaries. Refurbished as a museum, the building now houses a great permanent collection of Mexican art and major traveling exhibits, for example a recent showing of portraits and prints by the Spanish artist Goya. When I went there in the late afternoon, the galleries were uncrowded enough that. I could stop at Goya's portraits painted in the time of George Washington and reflect on how similarly dressed the upper class Spaniards were. I could look carefully (from behind a line on the floor) at Goya's prints of the horrors of war. Later in a side room, I could try to identify which section of a painting was represented in a color photo, then look at an enlargement showing the hundreds of brush strokes the artists used in painting it. [Metro: ALLENDE]

PALACIO DE BELLAS ARTES

Near MUNAL, you'll find the PALACIO DE BELLAS ARTES. This is Mexico City's opulent downtown combined opera house-exhibition hall in the center of the city, renowned for its concert hall, the noted Mexican works it displays along the passageways surrounding the patio and for high quality temporary exhibits. Sometimes an artist from the U.S. will be featured, for example the pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. More recently I saw a selection of war photos from the worldwide collection of the Televisa Foundation. The earliest photo, of a surgeon inspecting the leg of a Mexican soldier, was taken in 1847 during the war between Mexico and the United States. The other photos came from the American Civil War (Matthew Brady), the Spanish Civil War, World War II (Warsaw, Hiroshima) and other conflicts, each photo chosen for its impact. // Before I went into the exhibit area, I treated myself to lunch in the elegant Bellas Artes restaurant, in the midst of upper class Mexicans spending the equivalent of US $20-30 for their meal, I contented myself with a starter course of salmon emelde (what's that?) It turned out to be a tower of tomato, salmon, avocado and more tomato steeped with olive oil, to be eaten with rye bread (US$7). Fortified in spirit and physically, I then went on to what was a sobering exhibit.

ITURBIDE PALACE

The ITURBIDE PALACE, a large colonial house at 17 Calle Madero, is a historic building where the large Mexican banking chain BANAMEX hosts exhibits of Mexican arts and crafts from its immense collection. At Christmas time, the visitor could see nativity scenes made by fine craftsman from many Mexican regions. Another time I visited,, I saw 29th Century oil paintings. A good introduction to what awaits you elsewhere in Mexico. [Metro: either ALLENDE or ZOCALO]

Along the way, take time to look at the old buildings you pass along the streets in the center of Mexico City. You'll see the past mixing with the present (stores selling hardware, fine woolens, CDs and bridal gowns). You'll be walking on ground once walked by the Aztecs and gaze at buildings from all the centuries since the Spanish arrived. Your guidebook can lead you to the kind of restaurant you like, from inexpensive vegetarian meals to carnivorous offerings in opulrny surroundings...

SAFETY SUGGESTIONS

Now for a few SAFETY SUGGESTIONS that have worked well for me:

If you're risk averse (and I am in this respect), take a taxi called by your hotel, not one you pick up on the street. You're buying peace of mind for the extra pesos.

The Mexico City Metro is a great way to go although like riding a bicycle it takes practice. You buy a ticket for two pesos, go through a turnstile, and then follow the colored signs for your line. You do need to now the end point for the direction you're going - -for example, to go to CHAPULTEPEC from the ZOCALO you would follow the pink signs reading OBSERVATORIO. Like any good chilango (Mexico City resident), hold tight to your purse, be careful of your wallet, in the Metro or on a bus.

Dress down and speak quietly, we're conspicuous enough as it is. Consider not calling attention to yourself by taking photos.

Leaving valuables like your passport or extra money (in an envelope) at the hotel desk is much safer than "hiding" such things in your room while you're out exploring Mexico City.
If you simplify your visit by skipping that extra museum or attraction, you're less likely to lose something important.