17 Best Sights in Mexico

Within San José's historic center are four blocks packed with 14 high-quality art galleries, collectively known as the Art or Gallery District. You can walk around any time, but it’s worth planning your visit on Thursday afternoon to enjoy San José's popular weekly Art Walk from 5 pm through 9 pm. During this time, gallery owners open their doors and invite you to socialize with local artists and art enthusiasts from around the globe, discovering thought-provoking artwork along the way.

Set within a typical-looking Roma house with an early 20th-century stone facade, Galería OMR has been a leader in the city's contemporary arts scene since it opened in 1983. It contains dramatic, light-filled exhibit spaces on two levels as well as an art library, a bougainvillea-filled courtyard, and a roof-deck with grand views of the neighborhood. The gallery also has a strong presence in international art fairs and art magazines.

Renowned architect Alberto Kalach (of Biblioteca Vasconcelos fame) converted this former lumber yard into an internationally acclaimed contemporary art gallery in San Miguel Chapultepec, using polished wood, cement floors, and a curving metal-plated spiral staircase to set a dramatic stage for the well-attended exhibits. Often ranked among Latin America's most influential art spaces, Kurimanzutto represents about three dozen established and emerging talents and has a second location on New York City's Upper East Side. The on-site bookstore has a small but carefully curated collection of titles.

This prestigious gallery represents acclaimed artists like Emilio Rangel, known for his playful and sometimes erotic depictions of pop cultural icons like Miss Piggy and Elvis; Javier Marín—whose massive sculptures, such as Cabeza Vainilla (Vanilla Head) have been installed in a number of prominent spaces around the world; and about a dozen other diverse talents. The gallery itself occupies an imposing mansion whose interior has been given a striking, light-filled contemporary redesign. It's recommended that guests get in touch to make an appointment before visiting.

This cultural space and art gallery was created to give community members a way to interact with local artists, take workshops and classes ranging from yoga to ceramics, and generally participate in San Rafael's burgeoning arts culture. 

Founded in 1988 by Alfredo Ginocchio as Praxis Mexico, this now-eponymous gallery promotes distinguished work from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America. Its relatively small but interesting collection features a different artist every couple of months, alongside a variety of sculptures and paintings by familiar names including Santiago Carbonell.

Founded in 1935 and set in a beautifully restored house from that period, the GAM was the first place in Mexico City dedicated full-time to the sale and promotion of art. It's played an important role in many Mexican art movements since then and continues to support the country's most important artists. GAM also publishes an impressive catalog of books, which are available at the gallery's bookstore.

One of the most respected galleries in the neighborhood, RGR occupies a striking, angular concrete building with ample space for hosting the exhibitions of often large-scale works by contemporary Latin American artists. Begun in Venezuela in 2012, the gallery has become increasingly acclaimed---it's been in its current home since 2018.

In this building painted in boldly colored abstract designs, shutterbugs and admirers of art photography can take classes and workshops, view contemporary gallery shows, and peruse the extensive selection of photography books.

About 20 esteemed contemporary artists show at this spacious, airy gallery across the street from both Casa Estudio Luis Barragán. Like its neighbor, the gallery is a prominent work of Mexican modernist design, having been built in 1948 by functionalist architect Enrique del Moral, who resided here for many years. Both solo and group shows usually run for a couple of months, and the openings always draw a cadre of big names in the art world. The adjoining gardens, with benches and tables, are a relaxing spot to take a break from art viewing.

This art gallery has spent years mounting group and solo shows from a diverse range of artists, both local and international. 

An essential stop on any gallery stroll through Roma, MAIA occupies part of one of the more striking mansions on elegant Calle Colima, the Porfirian-era Casa Basalta, with exhibition spaces connected by a long, columned veranda. The gallery represents a mix of up-and-coming and more established contemporary talents, and the shows here make great use of the dramatic architecture. Casa Basalta also houses a handful of other businesses, including a few small restaurants, an ice cream shop, and a couple of clothing boutiques. 

This contemporary gallery space encourages the appreciation of diverse artistic languages, including modern art that fits within the building's unique parameters. Operated in alliance with the National Autonomous University of Mexico, it features national and international artists as well as performances and gatherings from cabaret to pop-up dinners and tastings.

Works—mostly paintings with a contemporary edge—by Mexican artists pack this large gallery. Downstairs, the main gallery exhibits a different artist each month while an upstairs gallery holds the permanent collection.

Around the corner from the Mascota Museum, the Palacio de Cultura y el Arte has rotating exhibits of photography and art. 

The main draw of this gallery with spare, angular exhibit rooms is that it's one of the only art spaces in Mexico City with a primary focus on contemporary photography. About 30 artists show here regularly, and there are about six to eight temporary shows throughout the year.