The Palacio de Bellas Artes is Mexico City’s most important cultural venue and an architectural landmark at the edge of the historic centre. Begun in 1904 and completed in 1934, it blends an Art Nouveau marble exterior with a striking Art Deco interior, and its great glass stage curtain depicts the Valley of Mexico’s volcanoes.
Inside, the building houses a celebrated theatre and concert hall — home to the Ballet Folklórico de México — along with the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes. The museum’s walls hold monumental murals by Mexico’s greatest 20th-century artists, including Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros.
The white marble dome and the surrounding Alameda Central park make it one of the most photographed spots in the city, especially from the terrace cafés across the street. Check performance schedules in advance, and note the museum keeps separate hours from the theatre box office.
