Visit
Museo Nacional de Antropología
Considered one of America's most important ethnographic and archaeological collections, the National Museum of Anthropology is a must-visit when it comes to getting to know Mexico's Mesoamerican heritage. The museum's architecture, designed by Pedro Ramírez Velázquez in 1964, is as stunning and monumental as the pieces in the permanent collection. Among its 22 exhibition halls, the Mexica, Maya, and Toltec displays are where you’ll find some of the museum's most iconic pieces, such as: the Sun Stone (also known as the Aztec Sun calendar), a mural and scale model of ancient Tenochtitlan (the settlement that is now Mexico City), the Coatlicue statue, a replica of Moctezuma's feather headpiece, and a colossal Olmec stone head.
Av. Paseo de la Reforma and Calzada Gandhi s/n, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, 11560, Mexico City
Museo de Arte Popular
The Popular Arts Museum showcases Mexico's unique craft traditions, including: textile work, basket weaving, glassware, papier-mâché, woodwork, pottery, and sculpture. If you are interested in loom weaving and hand-stitched work, there are great examples of traditional dress and attire, and tapestry from small communities in Mexico, such as Otomí iconographic embroidery, regional huipiles and loom work. It’s a great place to buy craft too. ‘The museum's shop works with over 500 craftspeople from 26 states of Mexico, ensuring each piece is authentic and representative of a region, style, and technique,’ says Claudia Muñoz, director of the museum's craft shop. ‘Unfortunately, there are a lot of replicas so when buying crafts in Mexico City, you want to make sure you support best practices and local communities.’
Revillagigedo 11, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc, 06050, Mexico City
Laguna
Laguna, located in the Doctores neighborhood, is a factory space for creative entrepreneurship and those with a contemporary take on Mexican traditional crafts The building dates back to the 1920s when it housed a textile manufacturing business. Nowadays, it houses 19 creative projects devoted to crafts, interior design, architecture, and art with the common thread of traceability and community building. On a walk-through you can scout Anfora's workshop for local ceramics, visit La Metropolitana's showroom to shop for wood furnishings, or stop by Década for interior design pieces and vintage furniture. While you are at it, get a cup of coffee at Buna, and don't forget to check in advance for any temporary art exhibits and events hosted on the weekends.
Doctor Lucio 181, Doctores, 06720, Mexico City