Museum
Franz Mayer Museum
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The Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City's historic center displays Latin America's largest decorative arts collection, housed in a former 18th-century monastery and hospital. The museum showcases fine handcrafts, furniture, ceramics, textiles, and silverwork from the 15th to 20th centuries, with most pieces originating from Mexico.
Don't miss
- The largest collection of Puebla Talavera pottery in the world, with 726 pieces from the 17th to 19th centuries.
- A silver collection of nearly 1,300 pieces, including liturgical items and non-religious objects like cigarette cases and cutlery.
- The Rogerio Casas-Alatriste H. Library, holding over 14,000 volumes, including 800 editions of Don Quixote and the 1493 Chronicles of Nuremberg.
- Textile collection with about 260 pieces from the 15th to 20th centuries, including rebozos, Saltillo blankets, and Flemish tapestries.
- European and Mexican paintings displayed together, with works by José de Ribera, Francisco de Zurbarán, Lorenzo Lotto, Juan Correa, and Diego Rivera.
- The Ruth D. Lechuga Center for Popular Art Studies in the basement, featuring over 14,000 artifacts from Mexico's indigenous populations.
Tickets & tours
Ways to visit Franz Mayer Museum
You can visit Franz Mayer Museum on your own. A guide mainly adds context, what you are looking at and why it matters, and a tour can add transport or combine nearby sights into one day.
Cheapest way inWalking Tour of the Historic Center of Mexico City4.8★ · 1,099 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$28 per personSee dates →
Most bookedTeotihuacan Private Tour from Mexico City5★ · 2,073 travelers1-5 hoursFree cancellationFrom$140 per personSee dates →
Private & flexibleMuseum of Anthropology in Mexico City & Chapultepec Tour4.8★ · 49 travelers~6 hoursFree cancellationFrom$110 per personSee dates →Know before you go
- The library's interior features classical design with cedar shelving, and the wood floor came from Mayer's original house.
- The building is next to the Museo Nacional de la Estampa in the Plaza de la Santa Veracruz.
A bit of history
The building began as a flour mill, then served as a hospital for about 400 years, founded in 1582 by Dr. Pedro Lopez, the first medical graduate from the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico. It was run by various orders and became the Morelos Hospital before closing in the 1960s. In the 1980s, the Franz Mayer Cultural Trusteeship restored it, and the museum opened in 1986.
Common questions
What kind of collection does the Franz Mayer Museum hold?
It holds Latin America's largest decorative arts collection, including silverwork, ceramics, furniture, textiles, fine arts, and items made from feather work, lacquer, ivory, shell, glass, and enamel, mostly from the 16th to 19th centuries.
Who was Franz Mayer?
Franz Mayer was a German-born stockbroker and financial professional who moved to Mexico in 1905. He collected decorative arts for 50 years, amassing over 10,000 works of art and a similar number of books, which he donated through a trust fund established in 1963.
Is the museum building historically significant?
Yes, it was originally a flour mill, then a hospital founded in 1582 by Dr. Pedro Lopez. The current structure was built over the 18th century and served as a hospital until the 1960s.
Does the museum have a library?
Yes, the Rogerio Casas-Alatriste H. Library is in the cloister area and contains over 14,000 volumes, including 800 editions of Don Quixote and the Chronicles of Nuremberg from 1493.
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