Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
These 15 figures are a memorial to the horrors of slavery in the Caribbean.
Memorial Cap 110: Memorial de l’Anse Caffard
The Llorenç Cerdá Bisbal statue
Llorenç Cerdá Bisbal Statue
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
The Inglis Bridge was meant to be deployed quickly.
Inglis Bridge
Loading...
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
You could probably take some of that stuff out.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Pack Light for a Long Trip?
Ripples in the land are remnants of the field walls that once held rows of native sugarcane and sweet potatoes.
Unearthing the Mysteries of Hawai'i's Ancient Agriculture
Petrified Forest National Park.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Mexico Mexico City Concrete Animal Cemetery

Concrete Animal Cemetery

Discarded animal sculptures stand forgotten by an abandoned aquarium and water park in Bosque de Chapultepec.

Mexico City, Mexico

Added By
Rodrigo Diaz
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Abandoned concrete animal play sculptures.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned concrete animal play sculptures.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned concrete animal play sculptures.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned concrete animal play sculptures.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned concrete animal play sculptures.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned concrete animal play sculptures.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned concrete animal play sculptures.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned concrete animal play sculptures.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned concrete animal play sculptures.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned concrete animal play sculptures.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned water park.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned water park.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned Atlantis aquarium.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Main entry to the Atlantis aquarium.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Dome from the exhibits of the abandoned Atlantic aquarium.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
  Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
  Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
  Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
If you are looking for a place to make a picnic with your secret order this is the right spot for you.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
  Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
  Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
  Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
  Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
  Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
An old mini traffic light for a children’s track.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
Woodland abandoned playground.   Ventrux / Atlas Obscura User
21st century versions of Pérez Soria’s animals, spotted mid-2025 in the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Mexico City has one of the biggest urban parks in the world, Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Park). This sprawling city forest is divided into three sections, two of which are full of popular museums and attractions. The third section, though, is a different story altogether.

This neglected western section of the park is a huge swath of dense forest that is unreachable in some parts, with deep cliffs and ravines and even some caves. It’s prohibited by law to build there, and is so desolate it can be scary and potentially dangerous to go at night. It's also swirling with urban legends, adding to the eerie mystique.

But during the 20th century, there were some major attractions in this part of Chapultepec, namely a wooden playground called Woodland, an aquarium and marine park called Atlantis, and a water park called La Ola, with a wave pool and water slides. All these places are abandoned and in a state of decay now. Over time there have been various projects to try to rescue this space, but none have prospered.

The last and possibly strangest feature here is a sort of cemetery for concrete animal sculptures. In the 1970s, these creations were part of an urban area for children designed by sculptor Alberto Perez Soria. He developed a series of concrete, animal-shaped play objects—turtles, fish, rhinos, lions, horses, bears, and so on—inspired by the fascination and astonishment that animals engender in children.

The play sculptures were made to be reproduced throughout the country and they remained in use for more than 40 years before they began to be replaced by the plastic and tubular sets. The abandoned animals are now scattered in this lonely corner of Chapultepec. Made of concrete with cast iron rods inside, each must weigh hundreds of pounds, so it's likely they will be here for a long time to come.

Related Tags

Abandoned Parks Urban Planning Children Sculptures Animals Concrete Aquariums Waterparks Playgrounds

Know Before You Go

Be careful visiting this place as it tends to be very empty even though it is not far from a busy avenue. It's advised not to explore at night. Parts of the area may be off limits.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Yucatan Family Adventure: Meteors, Pyramids & Maya Legends

Explore Maya temples and learn about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Ventrux

Edited By

linkogecko

  • linkogecko

Published

April 10, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Concrete Animal Cemetery
224 Av Constituyentes
Bosque de Chapultepec Sección III
Mexico City
Mexico
19.398005, -99.220812
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Fuente de Tláloc

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Museo Nacional de Cartografía

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

'La Mujer Chimenea' ('The Chimney Woman')

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico

Places 180
Stories 17

Nearby Places

Fuente de Tláloc

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Museo Nacional de Cartografía

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

'La Mujer Chimenea' ('The Chimney Woman')

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico

Places 180
Stories 17

Related Stories and Lists

Concrete Animals of Mexico

Podcast

By The Podcast Team

Related Places

  • Home for Retired Playground Animals

    Queens, New York

    Home for Retired Playground Animals

    A menagerie of concrete animals brought together from across New York City's parks.

  • Skippy

    Boston, Massachusetts

    'Frogs in Common'

    Created by a local artist, these quirky sculptures each have their own names and personalities.

  • Edinburgh, Scotland

    Gulliver's Foot

    This giant foot is all that remains of a massive concrete play structure that once stood on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Allen Park

    This former wildlife sanctuary is being transformed into an art park.

  • London Road badger.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Wooden Animal Sculptures

    Another entry into the world of Edinburgh's pop-up artworks.

  • The park.

    São Paulo, Brazil

    Parque Trianon

    This park feels like a lush little jungle full of wildlife nestled within São Paulo.

  • Berczy Park Dog Fountain

    Toronto, Ontario

    Berczy Park Dog Fountain

    This whimsical fountain pays tribute to Toronto's four-legged friends.

  • The coyote fountain of Coyoacán.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Fuente de los Coyotes

    In Coyoacán, a pair of coyotes crown a public fountain in reference to the ancient Aztec name of the borough.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.