Monterrey City Hall (Palacio Municipal)

The Basics

Inaugurated in 1976 and fronted by a towering statue of Ignacio Zaragoza on horseback, City Hall is one of Monterrey’s most recent landmarks and has a number of spaces open to the public, including a small (Spanish-language) museum. Notable highlights include Rufino Tamayo’s magnificent artwork—Homage to the Sun—on the south side of the building, and Julio Carrasco Breton’s Monterrey 2000 mural in the central courtyard.

Things to Know Before You Go

• It’s free to enter City Hall in Monterrey.

• The museum at the Palacio Municipal offers Spanish-language signage only.

• Art fans in Monterrey won’t want to miss the Tamayo piece at City Hall.

• Both the exterior and interior of the Palacio Municipal are accessible to wheelchair users.

How to Get There

The Palacio Municipal (City Hall) is located at the southern end of the Macroplaza in central Monterrey and can be reached on foot from most points in the center of the city. However, especially during Monterrey’s often oppressively hot summers, it can be more convenient to arrive by private vehicle. There’s street parking further north along the Macroplaza and nearby.

When to Get There

City Hall is open daily and is typically accessible to the public from the morning until the afternoon. The most interesting aspects of the building are in the central courtyard and the exterior of the edifice itself, so plan to spend a few minutes admiring City Hall before heading further up the Macroplaza.

What to Do Nearby

The most obvious nearby attraction is the Catedral Metropolitana (Metropolitan Cathedral), an 18th-century example of both baroque and neoclassical architectural elements and religious artwork. Further up the Macroplaza, you’ll find a number of fountains and statues, and just to the east, you can explore the Barrio Antiguo (Old Town), a lively neighborhood with lots of restaurants.