Places emajohn Wants to Go

Beneath the most controversial monument in Mexico City is a cultural center that exhibits only digital art.

The Mexican painter Diego Rivera created this unusual museum to display his collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts.

Many people don't realize there’s a lot going on in—and below—the world’s tallest triumphal arch.

The ruins of the bathhouse used by the ill-fated last Aztec emperor still lie in Chapultepec Park.

A series of abstract sculptures pop up from an otherworldly volcanic landscape.

You can release a young butterfly at this beautiful indoor garden.

This strange sculpture of a menacing skull surrounded by sun rays was discovered at the foot of the Pyramid of the Sun.

The unique collection often goes unnoticed by visitors focused only on the archaeological objects.

The ruins of an ancient temple to the Aztec wind god discovered in the middle of a metro station.

Psychedelic murals coat the inside of a nondescript research library.

Get a privileged view over Mexico City's Historic Center from a terrace right in its heart.

Worm salt and other local ingredients are on the menu at this cult favorite ice cream shop.

This crumbling Art Deco movie palace in Mexico City has been abandoned for two decades.

The burial place of some of Mexico's most prominent residents is full of macabre stories and hidden masonic symbols.

A barbarous band of serpents guard the bases of these Aztec temples.

This extraordinary art museum is like a secret world on the edge of Mexico City.

This one-window stand has been home to a giant vat of slowly simmering meats and an array of unique tacos for almost 50 years.

At a museum of everyday objects, it is the act of collecting that is really on display.

An airy Art Deco space devoted to the weird and wonderful folk art traditions of Mexico.

By night, this auto repair shop turns into a taquería serving up some of the city's finest al pastor tacos.

The hot chocolate here all stems from small, sustainable microproducers in Chiapas and Tabasco.

This old-school café is famous for serving coffee, chilaquiles, and the Cuban Revolution.

The only castle in North America to ever house European sovereigns.

These biodiverse university gardens form a green oasis amid the urban chaos of Mexico City.