Museum of Mexico City

A history and culture museum in Mexico City, housed in the former Palace of the Counts of Santiago de Calimaya.

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Palace of the Counts of Santiago de Calimaya: An ornate colonial palace in Mexico City that now houses the Museum of Mexico City. The museum occupies this former aristocratic residence, whose architecture is part of its historical setting.
Mexico City history: The history of the settlement and metropolis that developed from Tenochtitlan into Mexico’s capital. This is the central subject organized across the museum’s displays.
Santiago de Calimaya: A title associated with the aristocratic family whose Mexico City residence became the Museum of Mexico City. The family’s former residence gave the museum its historic home.
Templo Mayor: The principal temple precinct of Tenochtitlan, excavated in the historic center of Mexico City. Its archaeological remains reveal the pre-Hispanic city that preceded the colonial streets around the museum.
Mexico City: The capital and largest city of Mexico, built on the site of the Mexica capital Tenochtitlan. The city itself is the museum’s subject and the setting of its collections.
Mexica: The Nahuatl-speaking people who founded Tenochtitlan and built the dominant power in central Mexico before Spanish conquest. Their capital forms a foundational layer of the city’s history presented by the museum.
Colonial architecture in Mexico: Architectural forms developed in Mexico under Spanish rule, combining European traditions with local materials and practices. The palace exemplifies the colonial architecture that surrounds the museum’s historical narrative.
National Museum of Anthropology: A major Mexico City museum presenting the archaeology and Indigenous cultures of Mexico. Its national scope contrasts with this museum’s focus on Mexico City itself.
Museum: An institution that collects, preserves, studies, and presents objects or other evidence for public understanding. The museum uses these practices to interpret the city’s history and culture.
Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire: The military and political defeat of the Mexica-led empire by Spanish forces and their Indigenous allies in the sixteenth century. The conquest transformed the city’s political order and built environment.