Palacio de Bellas Artes

A national theater with a white marble Art Nouveau exterior and an Art Deco interior, home to masterpieces such as Rivera’s “Man at the Crossroads” and a Tiffany glass curtain, along with Ballet Folklórico performances.

The Palacio de Bellas Artes sits on the west side of the historic center, beside Alameda Central park. Italian architect Adamo Boari began construction in 1904, but the building sank into the soft ground and then stopped during the Revolution, and it was not completed until 1934. As a result, the exterior is white Carrara marble in the Art Nouveau style, with an orange-yellow glass-tile dome, while the interior is in the Art Deco style that was popular at the time, featuring black marble and copper ornaments with Maya-inspired motifs. It is Mexico’s most important cultural institution.

Highlights include the murals on the second and third floor galleries. Rivera’s “Man at the Crossroads” was originally commissioned for Rockefeller Center in New York, but it was destroyed after it included a portrait of Lenin, and Rivera repainted it here. Also on display are Rivera’s “Carnival of Mexico,” Siqueiros’s “New Democracy,” Orozco’s “Catharsis,” and works by Tamayo. Together they offer a concentrated view of Mexico’s mural movement. Admission to the mural galleries is about 90 pesos, free on Sundays, and closed on Mondays.

The stage curtain in the main theater was made by Tiffany Studios in New York from one million pieces of colored glass, depicting the two volcanoes of the Valley of Mexico. It is shown only before performances or on certain guided tours. The National Museum of Architecture is on the top floor.

For performances, the Ballet Folklórico de México presents traditional dances from across Mexico on Wednesdays at 8:30 pm and on Sundays at 9:30 am and 8:30 pm. It is the most popular show with visitors, costing about 700–1,500 pesos, so book in advance. The venue also hosts the National Symphony Orchestra and opera productions.

The plaza in front and Alameda Central park are free. Across the street, the café Finca Don Porfirio on the 8th floor of the Sears building is a classic spot for photographing the dome. Nearby are the Palacio Postal (Central Post Office, built in 1907 with a golden staircase) and the Latin American Tower, whose 44th-floor observation deck costs about 200 pesos. From here it is a 10-minute walk along the Madero pedestrian street to the Zócalo.

Getting there: take Metro Line 2 to Bellas Artes station and you will arrive right at the building.

Tips: closed on Mondays. Tripods are not allowed in the mural galleries. Dress neatly for performances.

Palacio de Bellas Artes

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