Fantastic landmark located in the center of the glorieta, celebrating the Roman goddess of wisdom…read more She is not only a beauty, but one the most magnificent landmarks of GDL. My best advice is to come on a Sunday, when the streets are closed off to auto traffic, walk around the circle, and take in the magnificence of the statue.

This is a really special place for me. I spent 1 year living in the building that overlooks the…read morefountain and think it was one of the coolest experiences of my life. While downtown may have some churches, museums and big market with a bunch of Chinese knock offs, the Minerva is where López Mateos meets Av. Vallarta; and in my book this is the heart of the city. If I wanted to know what was important in Guadalajara I would put my head out the window and see what was happening in the Minerva. Parties, protests, the Pan American games and that barely scratches the surface of all the events that take place around that big fountain. I love looking at old photos of the Minerva, before there were a ton of cars. More people used the area as a park and would hang out on what is now the landscaped ring around the fountain. Still, to this day, tourists come from all over the world, ride the tapatio tour bus and take in the beauty that you find in the oddest places of Guadalajara, like a traffic circle. Sundays are dedicated to the Via Recreactiva and the long boarders are always putting on a show right there. I mean the whole stretch of more than 25 km of streets closed to automobiles starts in the Minerva. They have created a spectacular sense of community that few cities can duplicate. The Jalisco en Vivo concert series, while I thought was a huge waste of taxpayer's pesos, packs over 50,000 people way down Av. Vallarta for a pretty cool event. I got to see Marc Anthony, Jenny Rivera (RIP), Bellanova and a ton of really important entertainers from my patio. I think the highlight of my year in the Minerva was the Mexican national soccer team's first round victory against the French in the 2010 world cup. The place went nuts. Tens of thousands of fans congregated in the glorieta to celebrate and jump up and down on top of police vehicles. They even show the games on a big screen in the circle and fans post up hours before hand. Grab a bike or a skateboard and get with it this Sunday. This place really is the best of the best in the 'perla tapatia'.

A major art museum in Guadalajara, this is a must see. But don't get too excited. Although a world…read moreheritage site, this is not an awe-inspiring museum unless you're a fan of 1930s modernist murals. The main gallery is interesting and reveals a key part of Mexico's history and politics through art. The museum includes several lesser exhibits ranging from modern artists of Mexico to a history of the building. On Tuesdays the museum is free. Time budget: unless you're studying this period of art, budget about an hour for the museum. Misc: (1) If you have a purse or backpack, you will be asked to check it. (2) Normal price for entry is $80 pesos. (3) Restrooms are available without charge in the museum.

4 stars if you go on Tuesday when it is free. 3 stars if you go any other day and have to pay 80…read morepesos for entry. No bags are allowed inside this museum. Be prepared to check any bag you have no matter what size. I had small cross body bag and was told I needed to check it in. Bag check is free. This is a beautiful building with interesting artwork on the walls and ceilings. Some of the artwork has QR code for you to watch a video in Spanish or English that explains some of the artwork in the main hall. These were informative. Walk around and enjoy some of the smaller art galleries. Some are only in Spanish. Budget no more than 2 hours unless you want to watch every video and read every piece of artwork throughout the facility. Bathrooms: free and clean onsite If you need a snack, head to La Chispita for a great beef and chorizo taco.

This is another impressive building at the Plaza. We walked by it a few times and marveled at the…read morearchitecture. We came back with a guide and he shared some of the history of the building including the bullet hole you can see on the clock and the story behind the IV on the clock face. Made me appreciate the building even more after that.

We got to briefly explore the murals and check this place out. The central plaza and the…read morearchitecture was very cool. The space is interesting as there where locals there doing legal business, one young girl taking her quinceañera pictures and us tourist looking at the exhibits.

Great service! Waiter even spoke English. Omelette was light and delicious. Chilaquiles was…read morefilling. Nice view in the downtown area; breathtaking.