National Museum of Anthropology



REVIEW

Mexican people erects this monument to honour the admirable cultures that flourished during pre Columbian times in regions which are now Mexican territory. Facing the testimonies of those cultures, the modern Mexico pays homage to the Indigenous Mexico, in whose example; the features of national originality are recognized.

With these words, President Adolfo López Mateos inaugurated The National Museum of Anthropology on September 17th 1964. The main objectives of the museum are to register, preserve, restore and exhibit the archaeological and ethnographical collections from the country. It is considered the largest museum in Latin America and one of the most important works within worldwide museography. Its background date back to the origins of the Mexican museographic tradition, when in 1775 the viceroy of Bucareli decreed that the documents which were part of Lorenzo Boturini’s collection were placed in the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico, which, later on, lodged the Coatlicue sculpture, found in 1790.

In 1825 the creation of the National Museum for the aforementioned institution was decreed by the president Guadalupe Victoria. By 1865, the Emperor Maximilian ordered its move, to a building on Moneda street, where, a year later, it was formally inaugurated as a museum. Anthropological pieces, together with Mexican and Natural History objects, were shown there. When the number of such pieces grew, the collection of natural history was integrated to the just erected Chopo building and, in August 1910, the president Porfirio Díaz reinaugurated the museum including the anthropology and history collections.

In 1940 the History collection was transferred to the Chapultepec Castle, leaving on exhibition only what was related to the national anthropology and archaeology. The construction of the current building, located in the Chapultepec Park, was begun in February 1963 and it was prolonged for a period of 19 months. The project was designed and directed by the architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez with the collaboration of his colleagues Rafael Mijares and Jorge Campuzano. The museum almost occupies 80 thousand squared meters of roofed spaces and open areas distributed in patios, gardens, facilities and 22 exhibition halls.

On the ground floor, archaeological pieces from the Central High Plateau and from regions of ancient Mexico are found. On the first floor, there are ethnographic exhibits from the diverse indigenous groups that inhabit the country. The halls are located around a central patio where there is a water mirror and a large fountain from where a sculpture of Tlaloc, god of water, emerges.

The museum houses paintings and murals by 20th century artists such as Rufino Tamayo, Jorge González Camarena, Luis Covarrubias, Raúl Anguiano and Leonora Carrington among others. The museum has areas specialized in archaeology, ethnography, museography and research, as well as three auditoriums, a library, laboratories, storage rooms, areas for temporary exhibitions, a shop, a restaurant, a bookstore, and a video library. It also offers audio guides, courses, workshops and programs of guided visits and academic and artistic events. The Anthropology and History book fair is held every year in its central patio.

ADDRESS

Av. Paseo de la Reforma (Zona Bosque de Chapultepec) S/N, esquina con Calzada Gandhi, Col. Polanco V Sección, Miguel Hidalgo, C.P. 11560, México, Ciudad de México

OPENNING HOURS

From Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 - 17:00 hrs.
Por persona

PRICES

$80

DISCOUNTS

Entrada libre a adultos mayores con credencial del INAPAM, personas con discapacidad (auditiva, visual, motriz o psicosocial), profesores y estudiantes con credencial vigente y menores de 13 años.
Domingos entrada libre público en general y extranjeros residentes en México

SERVICIOS

Guide visits | Store | Restaurant | Ramp | Checkroom | Library | Auditorium

CONTACT

Tel. (55) 5553 6231
atencion.mna@inah.gob.mx

ACTIVITIES OF THIS PRECINCT

Imagen muestra de la actividad

March 14 to June 01 2024
Imagen muestra de la actividad

March 13 to 26 2024
Imagen muestra de la actividad

December 07 2023 to March 31 2024
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