Things to do in Puebla México - Art / Offbeat

The Amparo Museum (Museo Amparo) showcases a permanent collection of over 6,000 works of pre-Hispanic origin and features multiple temporary exhibitions displaying Novo Hispano, modern and contemporary art. Situated in a 16th-century colonial structure that formerly housed a hospital, the building was converted by Pedro Ramirez Vazquez, a renowned figure in Mexican architecture. The museum has a souvenir shop, libraries and a beautiful rooftop terrace cafeteria which offers magnificent view of the nearby cathedral.

Built by Toyo Ito, recipient of the 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the International Museum of Baroque (Museo Internacional del Barroco) opened in 2016. It offers an overview of the prolific Baroque period in Europe and Latin America during the 17th and 18th centuries. The museum is situated in the Angelopolis, one of the most modern areas of the city. Parks, bike paths, shopping malls, universities, cultural venues and the Star of Puebla Ferris wheel are located nearby.

In 1835, businessman Esteban de Antuñano opened the first factory in Mexico driven by hydropower which remained in operation until 1991. Today, the nearly 7,000-meter structure houses three museums—the House of Music in Vienna (Museo Casa De La Musica De Viena En Puebla), the Puppet House (Casa De Las Marionetas Mexicanas) and the Children’s Museum (Museo Infantil)—which are integrated into the original architecture.

In 2014, Puebla’s local government found evidence of a network of tunnels beneath the city. Further exploration revealed an underground passage over 70 meters in length with a history reaching back over 300 years. Constructed in 1682, the tunnel known as Bubas Bridge (Puente de Bubas) originally connected Bubas Hospital to the city and it continued to serve as hidden road for the distinguished upper class families of colonial-era Puebla for many years. Today, the Secrets of Puebla program offers tours of the tunnel to visitors.

Located in Puebla’s historic centre, the Palafoxian Library (Biblioteca Palafoxiana) is widely considered to be the oldest public library in The Americas. Established in 1646 with a donation of 5,000 volumes from Bishop Juan Palafox y Mendoza, the library is recognized for its antiquity, originality and artistic value. A museum since 1981, the library holds over 42,000 books and manuscripts dating back to the 15th century and continues to serve as a repository for researchers from around the world. UNESCO added the library to its Memory of the World Register in 2005.