Museum enthusiasts will never run out of places to explore in Mexico City, but one of them stands out above else. The Soumaya Museum is one of the most popular art institutions in this city, and it attracts a million visitors a year for a very good reason.
Soumaya opened its doors in 1994. Its founder, the Mexican business magnate and billionaire, Carlos Slim, named it after his wife Soumaya Domit, who passed away five years after the museum was opened.
Soumaya now houses a collection of over 66,000 works of art—both ancient and modern. It prides itself on its impressive collection of art by European masters, but it also honors Mexican artists through its extensive repertoire.
In addition to being Mexico’s most visited museum, Soumaya is also one of its biggest marvels of modern architecture. The façade of its curving building, designed by famed architect Fernando Romero, is covered by 16,000 hexagonal elements with a mirror-like exterior that give it a picture-perfect look.
To see it in person, head to Mexico City’s Nuevo Polanco neighborhood. You can enter the building free of charge, as long as you’re there between 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., when Soumaya is open to visitors.
