The Palacio de Bellas Artes is one of Mexico City's most distinctive buildings and arguably the most beautiful building in the city.

Most visitors head here for its iconic white façade and orange dome, but the interior is also interesting, with murals by some of Mexico's most famous artists.

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Is it worth visiting?	Yes
Length of visit	15-90 minutes
Admission	Paid (free admission to the lobby)
Reservations	Not required
Location	Historic centre
Our tip	Take a photo of the building from the observation deck at Sears department store

What you'll see here

• Mexico City's most famous building
• The monumental marble interior
• murals by Diego Rivera and other Mexican artists
• concert and theatre halls
• the iconic orange dome

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Even if you're not planning a visit to the museum, it's worth at least taking a look inside the lobby.

The palace is used for various cultural events, temporary exhibitions, concerts, etc.

There is also a small permanent museum.

Our tip

The best view of the Palacio de Bellas Artes is not from the square in front of the building.

Head up to the upper floors of the Sears department store across from the palace, where you'll find the Finca don Porfirio café with one of the most iconic views in all of Mexico City.

We only waited in line for about 2 minutes to enter the cafe.

This is where most of the photos you know from Instagram are taken.

Practical information

We visited the Palace of Bellas Artes on the afternoon of the day we were on a hot air balloon ride over the pyramids.

So we were up at 4:00am and therefore had no energy to visit the museum.

We only looked at the iconic building from the outside and peeked into the main lobby.

How long to spend here?

If you are mainly interested in the architecture of the building, 15 minutes is enough.

For visiting the exhibitions and murals, allow approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

Admission and opening hours

Entrance to the museum premises is subject to a fee - 95 mxn.

Open every day 11:00-18:00, on Sundays from 8:00.

If you just go to admire the building from the outside or visit the surrounding park and square, there is no charge.

You can also enter the main lobby for free.

You can see the current programme of cultural events on the official website: palacio.inba.gob.mx.

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