—Huy, you should be asking, “What isn’t there?” mi amigo John Smith. Well, we’ve got Chapultepec Castle, Xochimilco, the Soumaya Museum, the Blue House, the Luis Barragán Studio House, and the National Museum of Anthropology. Plus, from those parts, you can catch a majestic view of the Puebla volcanoes—Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl—about which there’s a beautiful legend from pre-Hispanic times. And that’s just naming a few of the wonders in that area of the capital.
—Alright, let’s take it step by step, my buddy Mirón. “What’s up”, as you Mexicans say, with that castle you mentioned?
—Well, Juanito, that building dates back to the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Construction started around 1785, and it was meant as a retreat for Spanish rulers. But it was abandoned for nearly twenty years until the Mexico City Council bought it around 1806. A little over three decades later, it became the Heroic Military Academy—“heroic” mainly because of the Battle of Chapultepec, when a handful of cadets stood their ground against the invading U.S. Army in 1847. It has housed various rulers, both legitimate and, well… not so much. Among the latter were Miguel Miramón and Maximilian of Habsburg, while among the legitimate ones were Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada and Francisco I. Madero. Today, it serves as the National Museum of History.
—I heard that’s where the March of Loyalty started.
—That’s right, my dear John. During the events of the Decena Trágica in February 1913, which aimed to overthrow President Madero, he marched from there to the National Palace, accompanied by three hundred Military Academy cadets.
—And what about Xochimilco? What’s the coolest thing there?
—The highlight is the lake, with its canals that you can explore on trajineras—colorful boats with quirky names. These canals are formed by chinampas, floating gardens mainly used for growing flowers, though they’ve also supplied food to Mexico City for centuries. Xochimilco is also home to the axolotl, a type of salamander that’s endangered now but was once a staple food for pre-Columbian peoples. The place is so important that UNESCO declared it a World Cultural Heritage site in 1987.
—And what’s the deal with the Soumaya Museum?
—Actually, “Soumaya Museum” refers to three different cultural spaces in Mexico City: Plaza Loreto, the Guillermo Tovar de Teresa House Museum, and Plaza Carso. They showcase the art collection of the Carlos Slim Foundation, featuring three hundred years of American and European art. The museum is named after Soumaya Domit, the late wife of its founder, Carlos Slim Helú. The most famous of the three is the Plaza Carso venue, known for its stunning architecture—28 curved steel columns shaping its iconic design. It opened in 2011.
—And the Blue House has to do with Frida Kahlo, right?
—Exactly! That’s why it’s also called the Frida Kahlo Museum. It was the home of Frida and her husband, the muralist Diego Rivera. Now, it displays personal belongings of the artist. Every week, different activities invite visitors to explore Mexican history and art, particularly Frida’s legacy.
—And what can you see at the National Museum of Anthropology?
—It was founded in late 1964 in Chapultepec, mainly to showcase our indigenous heritage. It has 22 halls filled with archaeological and anthropological artifacts spanning centuries of our rich history.
—Oh, cool! And what about the Luis Barragán Studio House?
—¡Hombre! It’s located in the old neighborhood of Tacubaya and was built in 1948. Its creator, Luis Barragán, lived there until his passing in 1988. The house itself is a masterpiece of Mexican architecture—so much so that UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site for harmonizing traditional Mexican elements with global art and philosophical trends.
—Wow, it’s definitely worth wandering through the crazy paths of southern Mexico City.
—Que si no!
