National Museum of Anthropology and History, Mexico

One of the most famous museums in Mexico and all over the world is the National Museum of Anthropology and History. Located in Mexico City, this museum contains the biggest collection of Pre-Hispanic Mexican Art in the world.

The National Museum of Anthropology and History takes up almost 80,000 square meters and was designed by Pedro Ramirez Vazquez. It opened in 1964 at the Paseo de la Reforma Avenue in Chapultepec Park.

A huge 200-ton statue of the rain god Tlaloc marks the entrance. The museum contains 23 rooms, with the first three rooms presenting the definition of anthropology and an introduction to Mesoamerica cultures. Other divisions of the museum include the Pre-Classical Central Plateau, the Teotihuacan and Toltec Cultures, the Mexica or Aztec Room, the Oaxaca Room, the Gulf of Mexico and the Maya Room. A room is also dedicated for temporary exhibits from foreign cultures in the North and West.

Maya canlendar - National Museum
of Anthropology

National Museum of Antropology galery

The Aztec and Mayan Rooms are definite museum highlights. One of the most celebrated pieces is the Aztec Calendar, with a diameter of over three meters. There are also various reproductions in the museum, such as that of Moctezuma’s headdress and Pakal’s Mayan tomb. You can also see the giant stone Olmec heads as a model of Tenochtitlan.

Almost half of the museum is composed of open spaces, such as the entrance square and the central patio. Some of the open spaces contain outdoor exhibits.

You can buy admission tickets at the museum itself. Tickets for the guided tours in English, German and French are also available. It takes about four or five hours to tour the entire National Museum of Anthropology and History.

Save a couple more hours for relaxation at the museum’s garden and eating at the restaurant while musicians play!

Flash photography is not allowed, and using a tripod or a video camera requires an additional charge. There is also a souvenir shop selling various postcards, books and museum guides. Admission is free on Sundays.