National Museum of Mexican Art

The National Museum of Mexican Art is at 1852 W 19th St in Pilsen, a Lower West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, long associated with Mexican-American culture. Admission is free. The museum was founded in 1982 and presents Mexican art and culture across a wide range of periods and media, from folk art and textiles to contemporary painting, photography and sculpture. Its permanent collection is one of the largest of Mexican art in the United States, and rotating exhibitions explore themes from Mexican and Mexican-American history and identity. The museum is best known for its annual Day of the Dead exhibition, which draws visitors in the autumn months with altars, installations and community artwork. The galleries are of moderate size, and most visitors spend one to two hours. A museum shop sells crafts, books and gifts. The neighborhood around it is worth exploring: Pilsen is known for large street murals, particularly along 18th Street and around the Pilsen area, plus Mexican bakeries, restaurants and galleries. Many visitors combine the museum with lunch on 18th Street. The museum is typically quiet on weekday mornings and busier on weekends and during special exhibitions and events, especially around Day of the Dead. It is closed on Mondays. For photographs, the murals in the surrounding streets are a major draw, while photography inside the galleries depends on the exhibition. The museum is reached by CTA Pink Line to 18th station, followed by a walk of about 10 minutes.