Museum Wandering in Mexico City: My Top 10

When I arrive in a new city, I find myself heading for its museums. They're often where I begin to get a feel for a place, to understand something of its history, its people, and what makes it tick. In their own way, they help an unfamiliar place feel a little more like home.

Museums are a second skin for me. My mother was the founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Design in New York, and many of my childhood memories are of running around the empty Carnegie Mansion while she worked to raise the funds and bring the institution to life. School holidays meant museum roaming with her, which, looking back, was a wonderful way to grow up.

Having such an extraordinary collection of museums to explore has become part of how I'm making CDMX feel like home.

By sheer number, Mexico City is often ranked second only to London among the world's museum cities. It has more than 160 museums officially counted, with some directories putting the figure closer to 200. The range is equally impressive, from major archaeological collections and fine art to photography, design, folk art and specialist collections

The extraordinary Diego Rivera murals at the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP). Stairway.

What makes it particularly fascinating is the sheer breadth. Ancient Aztec and Maya civilisations, Spanish colonial history, Mexican masters, contemporary art, folk traditions, photography, design and architecture all have a place here. Some museums occupy grand historic palaces, others striking modern buildings, while a few are tucked away in the most unexpected corners of the city.

I've now spent quite a few months in Mexico City, and I'm still only scratching the surface. There are so many museums here that I suspect this list will be a work in progress for some time. I'll keep adding to it as I explore more, but I wanted to create a running guide to the places I've visited, what I thought of them, and which ones I'd encourage you to make time for.

MUNAL, National Museum of Art Stairway detail

My Top Three Musts (so far)

If I were to narrow it down to just three cultural experiences in Mexico City, I'd start with (my dispatches on them are hyperlinked):

Each offers a very different window into Mexico, from its ancient civilisations and artistic heritage to the people and stories that have shaped the country.

Rest of Top Ten (dispatched hyperlinked and websites where non4:

A few more museums on my list

Museo Jumex – A contemporary art museum in a striking building designed by British architect David Chipperfield. Particularly interesting for modern art and architecture.

Museo del Objeto del Objeto (MODO) – Roma Norte. Everyday objects, vintage packaging, advertising, graphic design and ephemera.

Casa Museo Guillermo Tovar de Teresa – Roma Norte. An elegant historic home filled with art, antiques and fascinating collections.

Museo del Estanquillo – Centro Histórico. A wonderfully eclectic collection of photographs, cartoons, prints and objects belonging to writer Carlos Monsiváis.

Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo – San Ángel. Two remarkable modernist houses designed by architect Juan O'Gorman.

Museo Experimental El Eco – San Rafael. An intriguing experimental architecture and contemporary art space designed by Mathias Goeritz.

Museo de la Medicina Mexicana – Centro Histórico. The history of Mexican medicine, traditional healing and herbal knowledge, housed in the former School of Medicine.

Museo Casa de Carranza – Cuauhtémoc. The former home of revolutionary leader Venustiano Carranza, preserved with period furnishings.

Museo de la Caricatura – Centro Histórico. Mexican political cartoons, caricatures and graphic satire.

Museo del Calzado El Borceguí – Centro Histórico. A niche collection of shoes and footwear from different periods and cultures.

Museo de la Mujer – Centro Histórico. Mexican history told through women's lives, contributions and changing social roles.