Palacio Cantón

Palacio Cantón Review

The most compelling of the mansions on Paseo Montejo, this stately palacio was built as the residence for a general between 1909 and 1911. Designed by Enrique Deserti, who also did the blueprints for the Teatro Peón Contreras, the building has a grandiose air that seems more characteristic of a mausoleum than a home: there's marble everywhere, as well as Doric and Ionic columns and other Italianate beaux arts flourishes. The building also houses the air-conditioned Museo Regional de Antropología, which introduces visitors to ancient Mayan culture. Temporary exhibits sometimes brighten the standard collection.