3 Best Sights in Mexico

On the western end of picturesque Avenida Francisco Sosa, this grand mansion with a dramatic facade was built in the Moorish and Andulusian style in the 18th century and eventually became the home of Mexican Nobel poet Octavio Paz, who lived here in the late 1990s until his death in 1998. In 2008, the building—known as Casa Alvarado—became the home of Mexico's national sound archive. Today, visitors can explore the archives and, in the listening rooms, hear digitized recordings from the archive's immense collection, which includes Frida Kahlo, Álvaro Obregón, and dozens of other historical figures. There's also an extensive library of books related to music and sound, and you can saunter through the gracious gardens and grounds, which are a perfect spot to relax with a book or rest your feet for a bit. Fonoteca also hosts a rich array of lectures, concerts, and other events—check the online calendar for details.

The building that now houses one of several national libraries scattered around the city was first designed as a cigarette factory at the end of the 18th century. A grid of nine square modules, including open courtyards lined with neoclassical columns, construction on the building lasted from 1793 through 1807. Within a year, the building had taken on other uses, including as a prison. By the middle of the struggle for Mexican independence, which lasted from 1810 to 1821, the building had become an armory. After decades of multiple uses, a substantial part of the building was dedicated as part of the new national library system and eventually inaugurated as such in 1946. Today, the library houses the collections of several of Mexico's most celebrated writers. It's also a beautiful place to sit with a book of your own. Guided tours through the library's elegantly staid courtyards are available by request from Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit the library's website.