Monterrey City Hall (Palacio Municipal)
An imposing steel and concrete structure that dominates the south end of the Macroplaza, the modern Palacio Municipal (City Hall) stands in stark contrast to the ornate Metropolitan Cathedral and the classical Old Municipal Palace nearby. Home to a small, Spanish-language museum and a few colorful murals, City Hall makes a fun addition to any Monterrey sightseeing tour.
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.
- Things to do in South Padre Island
- Things to do in San Antonio
- Things to do in Houston
- Things to do in Galveston
- Things to do in Mexico City
- Things to do in Puerto Vallarta
- Things to do in Taxco
- Things to do in Dallas
- Things to do in Acapulco
- Things to do in Texas
- Things to do in Jalisco
- Things to do in Central Mexico
- Things to do in Guerrero
- State Museum of Popular Cultures (Museo Estatal de Culturas Populares)
- Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery (Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma)
- Villa de Santiago
- Chipinque Ecological Park (Parque Ecológico Chipinque)
- Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana)
- Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame (Salón de la Fama)
- Glass Museum (Museo del Vidrio)
- Calle Morelos
- Mirador del Obispado (Bishop’s Lookout)
- St. Lucia Riverwalk (Paseo Santa Lucia)
- Fundidora Park
- Parque La Huasteca (La Huasteca Canyon Park)
- Barrio Antiguo (Old Town)
- Macroplaza (La Gran Plaza)
- Sesamo Park Plaza (Parque Plaza Sesamo)