The Anahuacalli Museum is a sanctuary created by Diego Rivera to safeguard the pre-Hispanic archaeological artifacts he collected throughout his life and made available to the Mexican people so that everyone could admire them.
It now also houses the country’s largest collection of ancient ceramics, thanks to a donation of 157,300 pieces made by ethnologist, photographer, and art curator Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera.
It took the art historian more than 40 years to assemble the collection, which includes manuscripts, letters, textiles, photographs, and archives.
Why visit the Anahuacalli Museum?
The main building of the Anahuacalli is a sculptural work in itself: inspired by the Aztec and Mayan pyramids, it represents the pre-Hispanic worldview.
It features three levels representing the underworld, the earthly plane, and the celestial plane. In the underworld section, you’ll see pre-Hispanic artifacts—a selection from the collection that Diego Rivera preserved as a cultural legacy for Mexicans.
On the earthly level, you can see sketches of Diego Rivera’s murals, including sketches of “Man at the Crossroads,” the iconic mural Rivera worked on under commission from Nelson Rockefeller before it was destroyed.
Photo: courtesy of the Anahuacalli Museum
In the upper world, you’ll admire beautiful mosaic murals and can access the terrace, where you’ll enjoy an incredible view of Pedregal and southern Mexico City.
At the same time, each of the four corners is dedicated to one of the four elements and their deities: Chicomecóatl, the earth; Ehécatl for the wind; Tláloc for the water; and Huehuetéotl for the fire.
It is built with the same volcanic stone from El Pedregal, but one of the most impressive features is its mosaic ceilings. During its construction, Diego Rivera experimented with creating mosaics using stones. Upon the artist’s death, his friend and architect Juan O’Gorman and his daughter Ruth Rivera continued the construction of this space. We owe O’Gorman the mosaic of Mexican stones in the UNAM Central Library.
The Coronel Rivera Collection
Photo: Rogelio Morales/cuartoscuro.com
The new collection, comprising nearly 157,300 pieces donated by artist Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera, will allow the Anahuacalli Museum to establish itself as a center for cultural research.
Drawing on correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, archives, and editorial materials, new avenues for research and publishing will be opened.
Furthermore, this new collection will naturally complement the museum’s existing collection, as each piece will be incorporated into the catalog, ensuring its preservation and permanence for the enjoyment of the general public.
Thus, the museum will offer new reference materials for students and researchers, while visitors will have access to a more diverse range of exhibitions and curatorial projects.
The History of Anahuacalli
Photo: courtesy of the Anahuacalli Museum
Diego Rivera began the Anahuacalli project in 1942, hoping to create a city of the arts on a plot of land that he and Frida owned in Coyoacán. It was to consist of seven buildings; however, Rivera died before the first one was even completed.
The museum opened its doors in 1964, and in 2021, the new collection storage facility, workshop spaces, and terraces were opened; thus, the project to revive the idea of the City of the Arts was born. This allowed the Anahuacalli to open its doors to many more people through workshops, classes, and even its café and gift shop.
2026 Calendar of Activities
- Liberating Dance— the first Sunday of every month.
- Poetics of Touch: Improvisational Dance— every Saturday from February 7–28, 11:00 AM–1:00 PM.
- Cardboard Art: Between Bones and Paper— every Thursday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM and Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
- Anahuacalli Choir— every Saturday from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, free admission.
- Introductory Class on Meditation and Mindfulness— February 28 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, free admission.
- Anahuacalli Pottery School: Fire Workshop— every Sunday from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Prices, Hours, and Location of Anahuacalli
The Anahuacalli Museum is located at 150 Museo Street, San Pablo Tepetlapa. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
General admission is $130 pesos. However, if you present a Mexican ID, the ticket costs $100; students and teachers pay $40. For seniors and children under 12, the ticket costs $25. You can purchase tickets in advance on this website.