Museum Of Anthropology: A Look At Mexico's Past

Our visit to the Anthropology Museum with guide Hector was an amazing experience!!He is very knowledgeable and gave us a great overview and insight into history of Mexico taking us through the different times and cultures. Loved the way he used his tablet to show us pictures and information-he wrote down names, drew pictures to explain clearly!! The museum is huge and most of the legends are in Spanish.So you need a guide to take you through the important things and Hector is the guy! Don’t miss it!!

Héctor was such an excellent guide. We learnt more in our few hours with him than in all the previous weeks of travel combined. Don’t hesitate to have him take you through the cosmology of Mesoamérica. He was considerate, deeply passionate, knowledgeable, and fun.

Our guide, Hector, was outstanding. His depth of knowledge and understanding of history, culture, science, and the nature of people gave us a truly unique understanding of what we saw. Hector is also an excellent teacher using an iPad to show additional pictures and diagrams to explain sometimes tricky ideas and highly involved glyphics. Being a licensed guide he is required to keep up to date with new information to keep his license, but I think he goes well beyond that just because he loves it. We were also given opportunities to sit and rest as he continued to explain and teach. I expected to get tired walking and standing for 3 hours, but we didn’t. When we arrived we met Hector as instructed, then he had us get into line. It was a security line, not a ticket line. Guests are not allowed to bring in water. It went quickly once the doors opened. Backpacks must be put into (free) lockers. Hector explained all this as we waited for the doors to open. I can’t praise this tour and Hector highly enough. I give it a 15 out of 10.

I cannot say enough good things about Hector! His knowledge and enthusiasm made our entire trip. We toured the museum on our first day in CMDX. My husband and I learned so much, and ended up seeing symbols Hector taught us throughout the rest of the week. Without his guidance, I think the museum would have been overwhelming for us. Instead, it was one of the highlights of our entire trip. Just book - you won't regret it!

This museum is amazing but can be overwhelming. I spent a few hours there and only did the last half of the museum. You would need a few days if you would like to see it all. Many of the signs are in Spanish, so if you do not speak Spanish, you might want to have a translator handy.

Our afternoon with Hector was magical. He is a gifted guide who made these ancient cultures come alive for us. His knowledge was extensive and his ability to explain was extrodinary.

I honestly wish there was more time in the day to explore more of this museum. We were there about 3 hours and saw only about 2/3 of it. The amount of artifacts they have is very impressive! I would highly recommend a good four hours. They do have good food on site.

Hector was the best tour guide! His attention to detail along with his passion for the mystery, mythology, and history of the many stories revolving around the fascinating artifacts he introduced us to made the museum an captivating place you didn’t want to leave. Very highly recommended!

Brilliant museum indeed. Large, well laid out with brilliant exhibits taking you through the different phases of meso america. However it can be tiring and the restaurant in the basement is a letdown. Expensive and unfriendly.

I can’t say enough good about Hector. He is: Knowledgeable, warm, uses technology to bring understanding from ancient times to today. I recommend him to anyone. Scarlotte

Excellent and extensive museum of history, culture and artifacts. Also has some really nice outdoor areas with places to sit. Exhausting to do all in one day but you can do half, eat at café and then continue. Cafe food was not the greatest but it had amazing fresh juices and fresh guacamole to which you can add ants or crickets (or not). Some of the newer exhibits also include English. We learned a lot. It is divided by region of the country.

I had a free day in Mexico City, so l took an Uber to and from to this beautiful museum!! I’ve have never seen so many beautiful stone works and things that have been found in the jungles of Mexico!! It was really amazing and so worth visiting!! A must see in Mexico City!!

Hector was an excellent and enthusiastic guide and so knowledgeable. We saw so many fascinating artifacts and were glad to have his explanations of how they related to Mesoamerican culture, particularly since many of the displays are only in Spanish. Even my ADD husband, who easily gets bored in museums, was fascinated by Hector’s lively presentation. We would highly recommend this wonderful tour and Hector as your guide!

Hector was our guide. His knowledge is extraordinary. He took us into 2 of the 22 halls and spent 3 hours sharing his country's history, while making it all digestible. Believe me, there is a lot to learn. We enjoyed his enthusiasm and we learned a lot. I would recommend this tour and Hector for the value he brings to this tour. We saw the large group tours while we were there, and there were too many people, most unable to hear the guide or see what was being discussed. Don't confuse a cheaper option with the same value. Hector is worth it.

Our guide, Hector, was very knowledgeable and provided us with an excellent tour. We would request him for any tour.

Our guide Hector did a fantastic job explaining Mexican history, culture and beliefs. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about his heritage. Hector took time to go through all the artifacts we never felt rushed. He also made sure we had places to sit a few times while listening which helped relieve tired legs. Overall my husband and I had a great experience and would definitely recommend Hector to others

Our tour was AMAZING. We absolutely loved our tour guide, Hector (booked through trip advisor). He was so passionate and a great storyteller. He used his ipad to give us a foundation for what we were learning and seeing in the museum -- which allowed us to really understand the dense history. I can't recommend this enough!

An amazing display of museum pieces and history! We had a fantastic guide, Christian, who explained many of the artifacts and art. A great intro to the history of the Mexican Indian culture before exploring the pyramids and other areas around Mexico City.

This museum is great, if you're looking for a museum, MUST GO. There is also a lot of nature space, and the museum store is GREAT. It has many things, if you want to get a gift for someone, you're sure to find something you'll like there.

One of the world's great museums, the Museo Nacional de Antropología contains extraordinary pre-Colombian exhibits. The Mexican writer Octavio Paz criticized the museum for creating what he called a temple to the Aztecs but the Aztec achievements are so stupendous I’m not sure what else they could do (& we could certainly learn from their city planning, which is beautifully displayed). The museum doesn't pull punches on the brutality. The calendario, used for human sacrifices to the sun, takes your breath away--as does the terror the victims must have felt. I always head straight through, past the gorgeous water feature, to the far section that straightforwardly and clearly presents the artifacts. I usually spend about an hour, before heading out, turning right at the first door and down the stairs to ponder Pakal, the Red Man, found in the Maya city of Palenque in Chiapas. His mask is composed of nearly 350 green jade fragments, his eyes are made of shell, and his pupils of obsidian.

Edith was able to explain in detail the meaning behind the museum artifacts with an honest historical perspective . She communicated with us before the tour and helped us to arrange Uber ride afterwards.

This museum was a nice place to visit. We were able to go on a free tour provided by museum staff. Available in Spanish and English. This short tour gave us enough information to explore on our own. They have a lovely Cafe that I would recommend. It has a full-time server making fresh guacamole with pestle and mortar. Caution. Do not take the taxis located outside the building. They charged our credit card $700 for a $20 cab fare.

Absolutely amazing. A must see in your trip in Mexico City. The quality of the displays and showrooms are well laid out. Courteous staff and friendly guides make this a top quality venue. Don’t miss this place in your next trip. Also the area in the city this located is very clean, safe near many other top places to visit. Almost forgot. The restaurant inside the museum is also top quality dining place and there’s a cafe too. Everything you need inside the museum to make it a great experience. Allow yourself 3 hrs inside.

Edith was warm and grounded. Throughout the tour, she explained the intent for the museum, as well as the pre-Colonial history that was discovered in Mexico. I especially loved learning about the stories and legends of gods and how the indigenous people honored gods and how that translates to today’s religious practices.

Hector is amazing!! What a teacher! He has studied the ancient cultures of Mexico and brilliantly shares exciting ways to look at both the new museum and its most exciting treasures. Time flew by with Hector! You would be very lucky to book at trip to the museum with him.

Excellent tour and tour guide. The museum has so many beautiful pieces. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable.

This is the best museum I've ever been to in my life. We were there for four-plus hours, but I could have been there for multiple days. I'm so happy we had a guide because it would have been overwhelming without one. Plus, Edith was INCREDIBLE! She was so knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. We had so much fun with her. 10/10 would HIGHLY recommend. This is a must in Mexico City!

Edith was very knowledgeable about history and the artifacts. We appreciated the chronological way she structured the tour. We enjoyed the legends she shared.

This has to be one of the best museums in the world. I loved every minute of my time there. So much to see so allow at least 3 hours and you can't take water in bottles but they have lockers if you need them. Get there early. Right at opening time if you can as the day I visited there was no queue at all at 9am but by 11 the queue was very long. The displays are incredible and somewhat overwhelming. Loved it so much.

The National Museum of Anthropology is a world class museum that upon first glance, with its mammoth concrete structure and 23 halls full of artifacts,is quite overwhelming. For a first visit, I highly recommend a private tour with Hector,our guide for the day. He was extremely knowledgeable a wove a narrative that enhanced our experience and understanding of the complex history of this region.

My daughter and I had a guided tour with Hector. He was knowledgeable and engaging as he told a story that covers the people of Mexico over the past 3500 years. He did an excellent job of tying themes and symbols together as he revealed the evolving narrative. We highly recommend that the first time you visit this museum, you seek out Hector to be your guide.

Edith was wonderful. A heartfelt tour made very enjoyable and easy to understand despite the amount of information there is to absorbed. Time flew by quickly. We truly enjoyed it.

This museum was so much more than we expected and it was because of Edith, our guide. With a Ph.D. in History, she was able to wrap the various displays in story and fact and fascinating details about pre-colonial Mexico - life, politics, geography, conflict, religion. She was endlessly fascinating and we understand the origins of Mexican culture so much better.

Hector was very friendly and detailed in his explanation. The head phones provided were very helpful. He answered many questions from my 13yo, but otherwise not really engaging my 11yo. So otherwise very good for adults and probably interested teenagers, but not for younger kids.

Our guide was very knowledgeable about the history and items in the museum. Highly recommend spending the day with her. Super nice, too!

Experiencing this world-famous museum with the guidance of Edith’s passionate, intelligent, and friendly conversation was an incredible experience. Edith checked with us to get a baseline of our knowledge and then built upon what we had visited in prior ruin tours to show us exactly the things that highlighted our stay. She has a magical way of making each artifact come to life and describing its place in Mexica life. Not only do I feel like I got a one of a kind tour, but I feel like she helped me understand more of the unique Mexican experience, how Mexicans can have their feet planted equally in both their ancestral world and the modern post-colonial age. I would do more tours with her again.

You guys, Hector, TOP NOTCH! Me and my friends could not have asked for a better guide. He gave us killer insight on the chronology and history of many of the cultures and civilizations that existed in Mexico. And the way he wove in these beautiful parables at the beginning, really laid it out for us in a way that was digestible and memorable. Not to mention, we were a few minutes late and he was so gracious. Not only would we recommend him and this tour, but we plan to reach out again the next time we're in town as he said it would 3 DAYS to see everything! Can't wait. Thanks again Hector!

We loved and learned so much from our tour guide, Hector Banderas. He was amazing!!!!! He had a wealth of fabulous information

My wife and I were so glad to have booked this tour. The museum is huge and contains so much interesting that it feels overwhelming. We were lucky to have Edith guide us through some of the main highlights, explaining Mexico’s history and the stories behind so many of the amazing artifacts on display in the museum. Definitely a great way to experience a visit!

Our guide Edith was amazing, her explanation-was a revelation for us, fantastic job, loved her and the museum! Greatly appreciated!

feel this is one of the most impressive museums in any city in the world sited in the busy and beautiful Chapultepec park. An absolute must see. U could easily spend several days here and still have plenty to see. Multiple rooms with beautifully restored original ancient artefacts covering Aztecs,Mayans and even earlier civilisations. A guide is absolutely essential to understand the timing,history and complexities of the different civilisations. Highly recommended

Edith was an excellent Guide. Very knowledgeable and made the material relatable on a human level. I would definitely visit again with guide from this operator. Note: wear comfortable shoes!

The museum is well put together. The inverted fountain is a nice welcome on a hot summer day. Our guide, Edith Gonzalez, has a wealth of knowledge and an easy presentation style. She shared her love and enthusiasm about Mexico's history with passion and made this a memorable experience. Thank you for the educational and fun visit to this great museum. It was the highlight of our visit to Mexico City.

Our tour guide was Hector. He was an awesome tour guide to have. Extremely knowledgeable and educated on the history of Mexico. He tailored the tour to our interests and made the tour fun, interesting and educative. Would highly recommend Hector as a guide.

We did a tour with Hector. Hector was an amazing tour guide, he was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about history and his passion really showed through. He customized the tour contents to suit our interests and I really learned a lot about the history of Mexico. I’m glad we got Hector, this was money well spent!

Edith was a fantastic guide! She provided knowledge that helped me gain an understanding and insight to the wonderful and beautiful history of the area and its inhabitants. No way I would have had such a great experience if I had walked the Museum alone. The Museum is amazing, but Edith made it a memorable day instead of just another museum visit. Highly recommend Edith! She was very knowledgeable and explained things that even a neophyte like myself was able to learn and understand.

Edith imparted a wealth of knowledge about the history of the people and thier way of life as we walked through the amazing Museum of Anthropology. Gained an insight that I would never have been able to sans Edith as a guide. She answered my Qs and was just a delight to spend time with. Highly recommend Edith as a guide!

Had an amazing day out and the amount of detail on the stone carvings is mind blowing, especially the Aztec Sun Stone. If you are ever in Mexico City I would highly recommend a visit.

A word of warm thanks to our guide Caroline for this wonderful introduction to the history of Mexico, through her clear and exciting explanations of the main works of the magnificent National Museum of Anthropology. We greatly enjoyed this rewarding visit.