Museo de Arte Virreinal

Taxco


This charming, rather ragtag religious-art museum is housed in a wonderful old house. It hosts a small but well-displayed collection of art, labeled in English and Spanish. The most interesting exhibit describes restoration work on Santa Prisca, during which some fabulous material (including tapestries, woodwork altarpieces and rich decorative fabrics) was discovered in the basement of the house. There is also an interesting display on the Manila Galleons, which pioneered trade between the Americas and the Far East.

The Museo de Arte Virreinal is often referred to as Casa Humboldt, even though the famous German explorer and naturalist Friedrich Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt slept here for only one night in 1803.

Guided tours (free but tip expected) are sometimes available in Spanish.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Taxco attractions

1. Casa Borda

0.05 MILES

Built by José de la Borda in 1759, the Casa Borda serves as a cultural center hosting experimental theater and exhibiting contemporary sculpture, painting…

2. Museo Guillermo Spratling

0.05 MILES

This well laid-out three-story history and archaeology museum is off an alley behind Templo de Santa Prisca. It contains a small collection of pre…

3. Templo de Santa Prisca

0.06 MILES

The icon of Taxco, Santa Prisca is one of Mexico’s most beautiful and striking pieces of baroque architecture. Its standout feature (best viewed side-on)…

4. Museo Casa Figueroa

0.09 MILES

A splendid, envy-inducing home-turned-museum, with an interesting collection of vintage art and craftwork from across Mexico, comes to life alongside…

5. Cacahuamilpa Caverns

9.93 MILES

One of central Mexico’s most stunning natural sights, the Cacahuamilpa caverns are a must-see for anyone visiting Taxco or Cuernavaca. The scale of the…

6. Ixtapan Parque Acuático

20.91 MILES

This sprawling outdoor water park mixes curative thermal-water pools with waterfalls, water slides, a wave pool and a miniature railway.

7. Xochicalco

25.84 MILES

Atop a desolate plateau with views for miles around, Xochicalco is an impressive and relatively easy day trip from Cuernavaca that shouldn’t be missed. It…

8. Museo Vivo

27.32 MILES

This interactive collection of live and mounted insects and other creepy crawlies is a giggly delight. You can join a continual circuit tour where you can…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "mexico/south-of-mexico-city/taxco/attractions/museo-de-arte-virreinal/a/poi-sig/1086090/361628",
      "destination": "Taxco",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "Mexico",
      "city": "Taxco",
      "position": "superzone"
    }