4. Museums
May 2026
Our exploration of the art of modern Mexico began at the Frida Kahlo House, which is perhaps the most appropriately-named museum in the world: Kahlo was born there, grew up there, lived there with her husband Diego Rivera, and died there. The walls are painted in striking cobalt blue, and the buildings contain art made or collected by Kahlo. The winding halls of the house are jam-packed, but the courtyard provides a serene place to sit and enjoy the atmosphere. It was just our luck that on leaving the museum we were caught in a freak hailstorm that left us huddling for cover under a restaurant’s awning.
Next we visited the Chapultepec Castle which has held many roles, including a military academy, presidential residence, and now the National Museum of History. The steep trek up Chapultepec Hill was rewarded with lavish interiors, vibrant stained glass, and sweeping views of Mexico City.
Unfortunately the majority of the Rufino Tamayo Museum was closed for gallery updates, but the Dark Room was open. Showcasing literal dark art, the highlight (lowlight?) is a dramatically-lit deep black Rothko.
We also saw two mural museums. The first was the Diego Rivera Mural Museum, which features (only) his epic Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central, a sort of Mexican School of Athens and the second massive Rivera mural to be featured here (see Detroit). Next was the Museo Vivo del Muralismo, which is housed in the old Ministry of Education building. Every surface of the museum is covered in murals by Rivera and his contemporaries, depicting laborers, revolutionaries, scientists, artists, and scenes from Mexican history.
Finally, we visited the Jumex Museum of modern art and the adjacent Soumaya Museum. The latter is perhaps the most distinctive building in the city, with a Gehry-inspired exterior of reflective metal scales and a winding interior reminiscent of the Guggenheim. The most striking gallery occupies the top floor, where hundreds of Rodin sculptures reflect sunlight amid the soaring curves of the building.
Of the 150 museums in Mexico City, these are definitely the must-sees. We will have to return so that we can make a bigger dent in the city's inexhaustible cultural offerings.
Recipes: Classic Cuban Negative.
Artistic Direction: My Wife.
Mexico City Photosets:
La Ciudad
Food
Before Spain
Museums
