Tracey A.
Yelp
As you approach, then step inside, the Palacio de Bellas Artes you may experience a moment of amnesia. Look around and you'll wonder where you are, and should you be given 5 guesses, Mexico City would not appear amongst your first 5 suppositions.
You would be forgiven.
The splendor which is Palacio de Bellas Artes anchors one corner of the immaculate and lovely Parque Alameda. Though there is much public sculpture lining the park, this building is the crown jewel.
Inside, the building is an art deco masterpiece. Soaring ceilings and open spaces make for an amazing space in which to view the enormous murals which characterize much of Mexican art.
Seriously, these murals leave one wondering where and how they were created and sometimes you'll be thrown a clue: on some works you can see evidence that they were created on cement walls which have been transported lock, stock, and barrel into Palacio de Bellas Artes. The majesty and beauty of these works, in this building, is nothing short of stunning.
This is also the home to a controversial Diego Rivera mural originally commissioned to sit in NYC's Rockefeller Center. Objections to Rivera's inclusion of Vladimir Lenin caused the mural to be destroyed but since Rivera had been paid, he offered to reproduce his work for display elsewhere. That work is here, your loss Rockefeller Center.
On the day of my visit, the side galleries were closed in preparation for an upcoming exhibit. As a result, my viewing consisted only of two floors of these masterpiece murals and huge, impactful paintings. It was adequate.
The building is also home to several other things:
* Ballet de Folklórico;
* Museum of Architecture (recommended only for a bisected, miniature model of the building itself; everything else is exclusively in Spanish);
* Restaurant; and
* A gift shop full of many interesting art books.
A drink in the cafe, a perusal of the art books in the gift shop, an afternoon eyeing gorgeous and historically significant works of art, then a stroll through the adjacent park. Life could be worse.