After shifting travel plans unexpectedly, we decided to book a trip to Mexico City for a week—with the kids. We weren't sure if this would be a brilliant or terrible idea. After all, Mexico City is a big, busy city! But it is filled with museums, cultural experiences, great good, large parks, and so much more. So we figured we'd give it a shot and see if we'd love our decision or regret it.
It turns out, traveling to Mexico City with kids is awesome! With so much to do and see and eat, there was never a dull moment. Plus, with a lot of walking we could tire them out (or at least pretend to).
We stayed in the Hilton Reforma, just off the Alameda Park. It was a great location for us because it allowed us to walk to a lot of places in the Centro of Mexico City. Plus, the hotel has two pools (one inside, another outside). The pool was very useful at the end of the day when that final burst of intense kid energy needed to be let out!
We did A LOT during our week in Mexico City. It helped that the art historian in the family has spent a great deal of time in Mexico City and speaks Spanish. Even if you have never been to Mexico City and speak little to no Spanish, have no fear! It is a navigable city with a lot to do in a few areas.
The heart of Mexico City is the Centro
Most people will visit Mexico City and spend a lot of time exploring the Centro. It has a ton of stuff to see, do, eat, and drink, and it is home to some of the city's most incredible sites and museums.
If you enjoy art, architecture, and history, then you will likely want to spend a lot of time here. Our kids enjoyed visiting some of the museums and churches and other historic buildings. They were less amused by any tour that we were required to do in order to see things. For example, it is now required that you take a tour to see Diego Rivera's History of Mexico murals in the National Palace. Alas, you also cannot walk up the stairs close to them either. Still, they are very worth seeing, but keep in mind that it is an hour long tour and if you have kids like mine that want to twirl and shout and touch, well then . . . ye be warned.
One the our favorite places to eat delicious snacks was Churrería El Moro. What is not to love about delicious churros and hot chocolate? The place gets busy, but tables turn over quickly.
Chapultepec Park, more museums and a zoo!
In my opinion, one of the greatest museums in the world (yes, WORLD) is in the Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Park) in Mexico City. That would be the National Museum of Anthropology. We got up early and headed to the museum right when it opened because we knew we'd be here for as long as the kids would allow. We spend about 4.5 hours there, with a long break for lunch and snacks. This museum is glorious! It has art from Indigenous cultures of Mexico over time. Most people will go to see the Hall of Aztec (or Mexica) art, which is incredible. But the other halls (or salas) are just as remarkable. I could spend days here and still feel like I didn't have enough time. I have never been able to do the bottom floor with the historical art AND the upper level with the contemporary Indigenous art and cultural heritage. It is just too much. With the kiddos, we only did a part of the bottom floor.
To make this enjoyable for them, I made a scavenger hunt. Granted, I know the museum so well I could make an elaborate scavenger hunt, but it would be worth it to even do basic things like "Find a bird, find a person, find a fish" to get them looking at art. They enjoyed hunting for art far more than if I just said, "take a look and enjoy in calm silence." That and they just wouldn't be able to do it.
Museums are often very unfriendly spaces or at least unwelcoming to kids because they don't know what to do or how to act. It is a great museum to get them excited about looking and discovering (without touching!). Plus, each sala has a little outside space with models, which makes them the perfect place to let kids stretch and get a little loud if they need to.
I've spent too long talking about one of the best museums in the world (did I mention that already?), but if you head to the Park, and you happen to find yourselves with more time, there is a ton to do! You can just walk through the park, people watching and eating delicious food bought from street vendors. You could paddle on a lake. Or you can visit a fantastic zoo for free! It was worth it just to go to the Axolotl space here, though the zoo itself has a lot to see if you are OK with crowds.
Other museums are also in the Park, including the National History Museum (which is actually a castle!). This museum has fabulous views of the city, though it is a short upward walk to get to the top of a hill. Totally worth it if you can make it though. My kids did protest this walk toward the end of the 20-minutes ("my legs are falling off!"). Though, once they saw the castle they had a lot of questions about WHY there is a big castle in Mexico City. I got to get on my soap box and complain about how people in the US celebrate Cinco de Mayo (LOL, yes, I do love to complain about this), but I also got to talk about the French invasion and Cinco de Mayo and Emperor Maximilian and the Second Mexican Empire! At least my husband was intrigued; my kids were still impressed with the castle.
There is a lot more I want to write about visiting Mexico City, but lest I truly write a novel I will end here, offering just a few morsels of all the good things that Mexico City has to offer art and travel nerds.
Want to know more about visiting Mexico City with kids (or without them!)?
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