Historic Center Landmarks

Constitution Plaza, known locally as the Zocalo, features a massive stone pavement centered on a giant Mexican flag that rises above the surrounding colonial architecture. This wide open expanse sits directly over the ritual heart of the…

The National Palace features a sprawling, ochre-colored stone facade that stretches across the entire eastern edge of the Zocalo. This site rests directly atop the ruins of Moctezuma the Second's final residence. Hernan Cortes ordered the…

The Templo Mayor museum is a stark, concrete-clad box that stands directly against the jagged, excavated ruins of the main Aztec temple. For centuries, this site was buried under the colonial expansion of Mexico City, hidden beneath the…

The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven sits on the Zocalo, distinguished by its immense gray stone facade and two towering, uneven bell towers. Workers began building this structure in…

The National Art Museum occupies the former Palace of Communications, a massive stone building characterized by its elaborate, tiered facade and a soaring central courtyard covered by a vast glass roof. Completed in nineteen eleven, the…

The Palacio Postal features a facade of ornate, honey-colored limestone covered in intricate carvings that resemble lace. Built in nineteen oh seven, this building served as the grand headquarters for Mexico’s postal service during the…

The Casa de los Azulejos wears a skin of blue and white Puebla tiles that shimmer against the grey stone of its neighbors. This palace served as the home for the Count of the Valley of Orizaba in the eighteenth century. Legend says the…

The Palacio de Bellas Artes wears two different faces. Its exterior is white Italian marble carved in heavy, curvaceous Art Nouveau styles, while the interior gleams with geometric Art Deco lines and murals. Porfirio Diaz commissioned the…