Attraction
Museo Nacional de Antropología
Mexico's national museum of archaeology and anthropology, a 1964 building in Chapultepec whose 23 halls hold the Sun Stone and treasures from every Mesoamerican culture.
Museo Anahuacalli
Diego Rivera's dark volcanic-stone temple to pre-Hispanic art in southern Coyoacán, opened in 1964 and holding about 2,000 pieces from his collection.
At a glance
- Type
- Pre-Hispanic art museum
- Area
- San Pablo Tepetlapa, Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico
- Opening
- Open 6 days a week (closed Monday) · 11:00–17:30
- Official site
- museoanahuacalli.org.mx
Good to know
- Rooftop terraces
- Online tickets
- Workshops
Why we recommend it
The Museo Anahuacalli is Diego Rivera's most personal project: a museum he designed to hold his collection of pre-Hispanic art. He began planning it around 1933 and worked on it for years with the architect Juan O'Gorman, but he died before it opened in 1964. Built of dark volcanic stone from the surrounding lava field, it looks like a cross between a pyramid and a fortress, and it was meant to be one part of a larger "city of the arts" that Rivera imagined for the site.
Inside, 23 rooms on three levels display about 2,000 objects drawn from the pieces Rivera collected, mainly from Olmec, Toltec, Nahua, Zapotec and Teotihuacan cultures. The dim ground floor represents the underworld, the middle floor with Rivera's studio represents the earthly world, and the upper floor's central hall shows sketches for his murals. Look up at the ceilings, which carry stone mosaics designed by Rivera, and note that the poet Carlos Pellicer arranged the display for artistic effect, so objects have no labels. The climb to the rooftop terraces is worth it: on one side you look over the city, and on the other, on a clear day, towards the Xitle volcano whose lava formed the ground the museum stands on.
The museum also runs a busy cultural programme. Its Day of the Dead ofrenda in 2026 honours the painter Saturnino Herrán and is on view from 28 October to 29 November, alongside a cacao festival from 29 October to 2 November. Workshops in crafts such as cartonería are held through the autumn.
Opening hours are 11:00 to 17:30, Tuesday to Sunday, and the museum is closed on Mondays. Tickets are available online. A ticket to the Museo Frida Kahlo includes a courtesy visit here, so it makes sense to see both on the same day. Allow one to one and a half hours.
The museum is in San Pablo Tepetlapa in southern Coyoacán, so allow travel time if you are coming from the Casa Azul. The Xotepingo and Nezahualpilli light rail stations are each about fifteen minutes' walk away, and the Xochimilco light rail connects this part of the city with the canals, so Anahuacalli can be combined with an afternoon on the water.
Museo Anahuacalli FAQs
When is the Museo Anahuacalli open?
Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:30; it is closed on Mondays.
Is entry included with the Frida Kahlo Museum ticket?
Yes. The Museo Frida Kahlo states that its ticket includes a courtesy visit to the Anahuacalli.
Who built the museum?
Diego Rivera, working with the architect Juan O'Gorman; it opened in 1964, after Rivera's death.
What is in the collection?
About 2,000 pre-Hispanic objects from Rivera's collection, mainly from Olmec, Toltec, Nahua, Zapotec and Teotihuacan cultures.
Is there a view?
Yes. The rooftop terraces look over the city and, on clear days, towards the Xitle volcano.
How do I get there?
By taxi, or on the light rail to Xotepingo or Nezahualpilli, each about a fifteen-minute walk away.
Does it hold Day of the Dead events?
Yes. The 2026 ofrenda honours Saturnino Herrán and is on view from 28 October to 29 November.
How long should I allow?
About one to one and a half hours.