I am not sure how much this is a destination site but if you are anywhere near it is certainly…read moreworth a visit. Ever since visiting the Museo Nacional de Antropología I have become to realize that Mexico is one big archaeological treasure and how much I don't know about its history. Coming here to see the ruins was interesting. However, what really stood out for me was the Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco. Built in the 1,500's it was constructed out of the stones used to build the temples that are now obviously only visible in part that make up the site. Personally, I don't believe one can look back and say this was either good or bad despite the conversation taking place in the rest of the world in 2023. Rather, it seems to symbolize a piece of the puzzle that has created the Mexico of today. It is a place I have come to love the more and more I learn about it.

So much history here! If you get a chance to come here, do it! I would have liked a brochure!…read more This archaeological site sits in the Square of the Three Cultures. The cultures are Aztec, Spanish Colonial, and the independent "mestizo" nation. There is an area with a circular temple to worship the wind god. It is about 700+ years old and was built by the Aztecs. Of course, it is in ruins. The Spanish built the nearby Church using stones from the temple. I read that this site also appeared to have been a mass grave with 49 bodies found. Our tour guide gave lots of info about this place in English. Be sure you have plenty of time to see this archaeological area as well as the Plaza de las Tres Culturas and the Cultural Center. There is also a Church called Templo de Santiago, which would be worth visiting! I think you can walk on pathways out in the ruins if you are coming from the Church.

The square itself is amazing, and the history is even more so. And while the square is a great…read moreplace to walk around and there is always something happing, it's great to go to the walking street and check out all the shops. But the people watching is the best. There are many souvenir shops around and it's worth going into the churches. One could easily spend a couple of hours here, more if you find a bar and have a nice, cool drink.

Plaza de la Constitución is the current official name of this central square located in Mexico…read moreCity's historic district, with centuries of history, and formerly known by many other names. It's evolved from a site for early Aztec rituals to a venue for modern independence celebrations, concerts, protests and parades, with varied uses in between. Today it's known as "El Zócalo", Spanish for "base" referring to the base of a monument to independence that was never finished in this square. Instead a single flagpole stands in the middle. Built over the ceremonial center of the Aztec city Tenochtitlan previously located in the same spot, you can visit the city's teocalli (sacred precinct) called Templo Mayor in today's vernacular. This is directly north east of the square. To the direct north is the Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México (Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral), to the east is the Palacio Nacional (National Palace), to the south are city government offices including the City Hall and Supreme Court close by. Over the centuries it's functioned as a public square, makeshift or formal market place, park, gathering place for political uprisings and other major historic events. Nowadays it's still a popular gathering place, there are buskers, organized performances, cultural and civic activities, including the Day of the Dead annual parade. When I was there a few weeks ago there was a city sponsored art exhibit of cactus statues, looked to be designed, and painted/embellished/decorated by local artists. There were around 100 different cacti spread out in the central section around the flagpole. Entrance was free though the exhibition area was fenced with police monitoring the entry points, I suppose to prevent any malicious activity toward the public art. So many designs stood out, I posted some pics of my faves--what talented artists!

If you are a Diego Riviera fan this is a must see while you're in Mexico City! At the Palacio…read moreNational you will see his largest and most comprehensive collection of murals. if I remember my tour guides speech correctly, this has 100 of his murals that took him five years of his life. Each mural depicts different ways of life at that time. The murals themselves are studied. All the colors of muted but vibrant. The colors are not vegetable that is, but actual oil put onto wet plaster. As a plaster dried, it locked in the color which has remained all these years. The interiors have multiple courtyards that are very relaxing. .. it is a very peaceful place. If you want or plan to see all the murals, I suggest you plan for at least a few hours. There's multiple levels and as I mentioned at least 100 murals of Diego's alone, as well as multiple other murals done by others.

An absolute must to see the amazing and jaw dropping work of Diego Rivera. You'll need to make…read morereservations for a mandatory guided tour.

The history in this part of Mexico City is incredible. If you're visiting, you should absolutely…read moremake time to stop at Templo Mayor--it gives you a completely different understanding of the region. Templo Mayor was the central temple of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, which once stood in the middle of Lake Texcoco. After the Spanish conquest led by Hernán Cortés, the city was destroyed, and much of its stone was reused to build what is now the Metropolitan Cathedral and surrounding colonial structures. What's fascinating is that the ruins remained hidden for centuries. The first parts of the ruins were discovered during construction work in the 1970s and earthquakes in the 1980s revealed more of the remains. Standing here, you really feel the layers of history. Within a short walk, you can see modern Mexico City, Spanish colonial architecture like the cathedral, and the exposed Aztec ruins--all in one place. It's a powerful visual of how this city has evolved over time. If you made the trip to Mexico City, don't skip this stop. Even just walking through the area gives you a sense of history spanning from the Aztec empire, through Spanish colonization, to the present day. It's an experience that really stays with you.

Built initially in the early 14th century, Templo Mayor aka the "Main Temple" sits in the middle of…read morewhat was originally the geographic and religious center of the capital city of Tenōchtitlan, when it was still an island city in the middle of Lake Texcoco. As a sacred site for the Mexica peoples, the structures erected here were dedicated to two deities--Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture. A shrine was built for each at the top of the temple on the main pyramid. From archaeological analysis, the temple was rebuilt six times, with the largest expansion under Mocteczuma I in 1454, though in 1521 the majority of the building was destroyed by Spanish colonizers when the whole city was razed and rebuilt following Spanish occupation. Notably the Metropolitan Cathedral which stands today adjacent to this site was one of the buildings which were built over it. By the 19th century the exact location and history of this sacred precinct had been lost but toward the end of the 1800s part of the temple corner was uncovered. However there wasn't an official organized effort to excavate and preserve the site until 1978-82. In 1987 the site became listed as an UNESCO world heritage site and a museum was built to house its artifacts and findings. When I was there in January I didn't go into the museum though walked around the edges--they've done an excellent job framing it with walkways along the west side, so it's somewhat of a public park. There are a few small scale models of what the precinct would've looked like in different eras, and a dedicated viewing platform. With entry to the museum you get closer access into the site with some walkways within the site itself. The entrance to the museum is free for Mexican citizens and 95 pesos for foreigners. Three floors with eight main exhibition halls focused on the deities, rituals (including human sacrifice), the role of the temple in economics and trade of the time, and flora and fauna of past Mesoamerica. In excavations more than 7000 objects were found and work continues on the site today.

Es El museo mas lujoso que he visto en mi vida es la oficina de Correos de la ciudad de Mexico hoy…read moreme toco Algo muy especial que se llama noches de museos en esta occasion fue un concierto de coros infantiles total Mente gratis la entrada es a las 6 pm es Algo muy especial El poder seguir birndoncosas tan Hermosa y con accesibilidad hay mucho jente formada El Lugar exajeradamete decorado con colores dorados como El Oro es Algo alusinante solo en entrar the sientes en Otra epoca y como si fuera Rica

It's fun to learn about postal service every country has one. This building is historical and…read moreinteresting that is worth seeing. They have a lot of old equipment and stamps plus some other things to see.

When I was a kid my parents took me to Mexico City-I think I was like 5 or 6 years old.During that…read moretrip I took a picture in front of the Basilica with my mother.That picture was in the hall of every house we ever lived in ever since. Fast forward 45+ years later I'm finally making my way back to Mexico City and one of the top things I wanted to do is to try and find the place I took that picture at the historic church located near the Zocalo. Funny thing happens to your memory after 45 years and I couldn't quite locate where I took that picture,I guess on this trip I would have to settle for visiting this amazing historic religious site. When I got to the church,I was surprised how many vendors were located outside of the church,selling their wares.They were everywhere out there-I surely was tempted to pick up a few things,but I didn't as that wasn't the purpose of this visit. Once inside I was immediately taken back by the sheer size of this holy place.The grandeur of the interior of the building was breathtaking. I could've spent hours in there looking at all the artwork and statues that lined the sides of this place of worship-just reading the stories and seeing the amazing displays of saints and religious figures had me mesmerized. It took me back to the days of my youth when I was an altar boy for many years at the Catholic church in my town. This church has a connecting older church that serves as an alternate place to worship-admire art and pray-But it was under major construction when I visited,so was not able to spend much time in the connecting buildings. Upon leaving the building I was kinda torn how such a very special place has turned into such a tourist attraction-I mean there is a vendor inside the church selling crosses and candles and other things to commemorate one's visit to this church. I get why they do it,just didn't like how it made me feel seeing it. That being said-this church is truly a must visit when visiting Mexico City for anyone who loves history-loves architecture-loves Catholic churches or just wants some quiet time to pray. It truly was one of the highlights of my trip and a place I think back to fondly when I reminisce about my trip-now if I could've only found that spot I took that picture so very long ago.

The official name is the Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de la Bienaventurada Virgen María a…read morelos cielos (The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven), though it's commonly known as the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, and functions as a chapter of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico. The cathedral is sits on the edge of El Zócalo, the central square in the historic district of Mexico City, immediately west of Templo Mayor and covering part of the sacred precinct. When the Spanish conquered the Tenochtitlan, they tore down most of the prior structures in 1521 and built a church. In the decades later from 1573 to 1813 various sections were constructed surrounding it then later replacing the initial building, becoming what it is today. It's considered the first cathedral built in the Americas, with materials scavenged from destroyed pyramids and stone structures, its style influenced by Spanish Gothic cathedrals incorporating Baroque and Neoclassical elements considering its extensive period of construction. Much time spent was due to the sinking ground and dropping water tables of the land beneath the site, with the soft soil (being on a former island in a lake) causing varied foundational stability as the building also sat over the uneven surfaces of pre-existing structures. Visiting on a January weekday morning around 10am, it wasn't crowded though there were a fair amount of tourists and closer to 11am more people arrived. Entrance is free and there are a few areas open to the public--the main cathedral building and the Metropolitan Tabernacle (to its right), connected by a hallway. There is a crypt in the basement housing the remains of quite a few historical figures, though from what I could gather a pre-booked tour is required. Aside from a few main altarpieces, there are 16 side-chapels in the cathedral, of which 14 are open to the public. If you take your time you could probably spend an hour though I was there about 30 minutes. There are descriptions of the altarpieces and some placards with information on the layout and history of the church though most were in Spanish. For more info: https://mexicocity.cdmx.gob.mx/venues/metropolitan-cathedral/?lang=en https://catedralmetropolitana.mx

This is certainly a great way to see the city from above. You get 360 degree views from either…read morebehind glass or a fence a floor above. Think the Empire State Building, Space Needle, etc. If you are being a tourist and want nice views for sunset or during the date, go for it. Of course they offer up charges for a photo and a simulator thing. There is a small snack bar at the top if you need refreshments once you get up there.

This 44 floor office building has an observation deck on the top which cost 220 Pesos which gives…read moreyou a 360 view of the city. You take an elevator to the 37th floor then take another one up to the top or if you dont want to wait you can take the stairs. BUT if you want the same or similar views for free you can just go to the restaurant which i belive is on the 39th or 40th floor. So instead of buying tickets to go to the observation deck you can just say you're going to the restaurant. Of course the prices are a little elevated but just think that you'd be spending 220 pesos per person just to go to the observation deck. So just get a drink and maybe a dessert or something. The view is really nice and you can just relax and enjoy. We had a tres leches cake which swimming in sauce, very spongy and wet and also had a layer of whipped cream, delicious! We also got the mango ice cream, it was quite a large scoop and came on top of some sort of cookie or granola crumble. It was creamy and had a nice mango flavor, most of all refreshing. But most of all you're there for the view. We went there on our last day before leaving for the airport so we were in sort of a rush. So we asked for our check multiple times but they are used to people taking their time and just enjoying the view. So we just got up and paid at the register before we left.

I've spent so much time here over the years, and my office is right across the street! I also live…read morefairly closeby six months out of the year, so you could say that this is my neighborhood. The first time that I was really introduced to this place was when Brittany Spears had a co cert here many years ago. They have wonderful shows and events here all year round. What my girlfriend and I enjoy most are the almost nightly dance get togethers in one of the side pod sections. It's just great and a lot of fun for a foreigner who didn't grow up in Mexico. Today's event was a commemoration and the military band honoring a high ranking leader. Starting tomorrow I will return to the office here, because after my first ten days back here, vacation time is over. Kinda sorta!

The place itself is mostly not a museum but more of a place where you can see the city. The views…read morefrom up there were spectacular, worth the price of admission, even though I thought this place was overpriced . The staff was kinda rude and seemed bothered if you dared asked any questions. They were not that nice most of them but not all of them . The place where Pancho Villa is buried is not accesible which is kinda weird considering they push this place as the place where you can see where he's buried . Worth coming to , overpriced , staff is mostly rude . Check it out .

A visit here was an accident and a wonderful one at that. We were walking back from Zocalo to our…read morehotel when we saw this spot and decided to check it out. It's a spectacular church and has been around from 1542! Check out the pictures.

We had been sightseeing in the downtown area since yesterday, when we came across this magnificent…read morechurch on the main pedestrian boulevard. We were a little confused at first because there were two entrances to the church. The first entrance serves more like a plaza, and we envisioned the area as where they used to park their horses back in the day. It is a large open space with a couple of nice gardens, as well as, stores. The actual church entrance was prominent. When we arrived Sunday afternoon there were only a handful of people inside, a few of them were reading the Bible. The main chaple section was really quite grand, and it looked like there was a lot of plated gold. This church was really a great experience for us. I am not clear about their hours and it seemed like they stay open most of the day.