7 Best Sights in Alameda Central, Mexico City

The manicured gardens of the Alameda Central at the western edge of Centro Histórico have been the heart of Mexico City life since the height of the city's pre-Hispanic glory, when informal markets were held here. Strolling around the park today remains a great way to break up sightseeing in the neighborhood. During the week it's quite lively, but you'll be able to find a shaded bench for a few moments of rest before heading off to more museums. Food vendors throughout the park sell all kinds of snacks, from ice cream to grilled corn on the cob. In the early days of the viceroyalty, the Inquisition burned its victims at the stake here. Later, national leaders, from 18th-century viceroys to Emperor Maximilian and the dictator Porfirio Díaz, envisioned the park as a symbol of civic pride and prosperity. Life in Mexico, one of the quintessential texts on daily life in the colonial period, written by the British countess Frances Calderón de la Barca, describes how women donned their finest jewels to walk around the park even after independence. Over the centuries it has been fitted out with fountains and ash, willow, and poplar trees; through the middle of the 20th century, it became a popular gay cruising ground. Today, the Alameda is one of the best places in town to see people from all walks of life, mingling in the shadow of some of the city's most iconic buildings.

One of the city's most interesting museums, Centro de la Imagen shares the old Ciudadela building with the Biblioteca de México. Remodeled just a few years back, the extensive gallery spaces work cleverly to transect and interact with the historic structure and are devoted to reflections on photographs as both historical documents and art. The library near the entrance has a significant collection of photobooks. Guided tours in English can be arranged for free via the website with several weeks' notice.

In operation for more than 80 years, this is Mexico's biggest venue for lucha libre. Pyrotechnic matches, complete with big screens and grand entrances, are held every week on Tuesday at 7:30 pm, Friday at 8:30 pm, and Sunday at 5 pm. Tickets range from MP60 to MP600 depending on quality of seats and the day of the week, with the more expensive matches typically held on Friday and Sunday. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at the venue.

Housed in the 16th-century Hospital de San Juan de Dios, this museum houses thousands of works collected by Franz Mayer, who emigrated from his native Germany to Mexico in 1905 and went on to become an important stockbroker. The permanent collection includes 16th- and 17th-century antiques, such as wooden chests inlaid with ivory, tortoiseshell, and ebony; tapestries, paintings, and lacquerware; rococo clocks, glassware, and architectural ornamentation; and an unusually large assortment of Talavera (blue-and-white) ceramics. The museum also has more than 700 editions of Cervantes's Don Quixote. The old hospital building is faithfully restored, with pieces of the original frescoes peeking through. You can also enjoy a great number of temporary exhibitions, often focused on modern applied arts. 

The San Carlos collection occupies a handsome, 18th-century palace built by Manuel de Tolsá in the final years of Mexico's colonial period. Centered on an unusual oval courtyard, the neoclassical mansion became a cigarette factory in the mid-19th century, lending the colonia its current name of Tabacalera. In 1968, the building became a museum, housing a collection of some 2,000 works of European art, primarily paintings and prints, with a few examples of sculpture and decorative arts ranging in styles.