explore chapultepec castle, mexico city
This weekend, we will be celebrating Dia de Independencia in Mexico City, so I decided to explore Chapultepec Castle, and share it with you! The Chapultepec Castle, or Castillo de Chapultepec in Spanish, rises on the top of the Chapultepec Hill, where Chapultepec means “The grasshopper’s hill” in the Náhuatl language.
Chapultepec hill has a 3000-year history. Pre-classic period artifacts & burials reveal the first settlers by Lake Texcoco. Mexicas stopped there briefly during their migration before being expelled by neighboring towns. In 1325, after the founding of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, Chapultepec became a sacred & strategic site due to its springs which supplied drinking water to the empire’s capital.
As you enter Chapultepec Park through the main gate on Avenida Reforma, you will see the grand castle peeking through the trees on the top of the hill. Access is through a ramp leading to exterior gates and there are many courtyards and gardens, including the Citadel and the Tall Knight tower.
In modern times, film director Baz Luhrmann filmed at Chapultepec castle, which was used as the Capulet’s mansion in his 1996 modernization of Romeo and Juliet. Luhrmann made use of several locations throughout Mexico City to create his stylized version of Verona.
history of
Chapultepec Castle
Chapultepec Castle was originally built in 1785 during the Colonial Period. During the Mexican War of Independence, it was abandoned and later used as a military academy with many structural modifications.
In 1864, Maximilian I of Mexico and Empress Carlota hired European and Mexican architects to give the castle a neoclassical look. They also ordered the construction of a boulevard that runs from the Centro Historico, to the gates of Chapultepec park, named Paseo de la Emperatriz. However, when Benito Juárez became President in 1867, he renamed it as Paseo de la Reforma.
On February 3, 1939, the President Lázaro Cárdenas decreed that the Chapultepec Castle would become the Museo Nacional de Historia and opened on September 27, 1944. The castle is an important symbol of the historical and cultural heritage of Mexico, and it is a famous landmark in Mexico City.
The castle is extravagantly decorated with paintings and foyers from the 19th and early 20th century.
mexican muralism
Chapultepec castle is home to some stunning murals. Eduardo Solares, Juan O’ Gorman, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Jorge Gonzalez Camarena are just a few of the talented artists who have left their mark on the castle’s walls. You’ll find a wide range of national history themes depicted in these murals – from everyday life and historical events, to political and social struggles, and even religious and cultural matters – these murals have it all!
This art movement is particularly important as it helped shape the nation-state and allowed those who couldn’t read to learn about the rich history of Mexico in a visually stunning way.
plan your visit to chapultepec castle
Chapultepe Castle visiting hours are: Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am. to 5 pm. The museum is not open on any Monday of the year (as is the case with most Museums in Mexico City).
It takes at least an hour and a half to see the museum, so please plan accordingly. The rooms begin to vacate at 4:45 pm.
General admission is $90.00 Mexican pesos
Payments: Cash in Mexican pesos payment only.
Free Admission: Children under 13 years old, People over 60 years old, Teachers and students with valid credentials, Pensioners and retirees with credentials, People with disabilities.
For additional information, please visit the Castillo de Chapultepec website.
Are you planning a trip to Mexico City? Check out my Mexico Travel Guide (below) – it’s packed with helpful tips and tricks to get you in, out, and navigate around this beautiful country. Also, be sure to stay tuned for my latest blog posts where I’ll be sharing all my adventures and more tips on finding beautiful architecture and design around the globe!
