Centro Cultural Metropolitano, Cultural center in historic district, Quito, Ecuador.

The Centro Cultural Metropolitano is a cultural center housed in a 17th century colonial building with multiple floors and diverse spaces. The structure contains exhibition galleries, a library, performance halls, and areas dedicated to workshops and cultural programming.

The Jesuits built the Universidad San Gregorio Magno here in 1622; after their 1767 expulsion it became the Real Universidad Pública de Santo Tomás de Aquino. In 1830 the Acta de Separación de la Gran Colombia was signed in its assembly hall. A 1914 redesign by Francisco Espinosa Acevedo began in 1915, and a 1929 fire destroyed the third floor. The university left in 1945, and the building became the Centro Cultural Metropolitano in 1997.

The center takes its name from its municipal role and manages the Museo Alberto Mena Caamaño, known as the Wax Museum, and the Federico González Suárez Library. The library opened on 9 August 1880 for the 80th anniversary of the first cry of independence, attended by President Antonio Flores Jijón. Its collection, begun in 1886 under council secretary Leonidas Batallas, is the city's second most important.

The center is located near public transportation stops and is walkable from other historic sites in the district. A digital events calendar provides information about current exhibitions and performances, and guided tours are available in multiple languages.

The building retains prison cells from the era when political prisoners were held there during the independence movement. These rooms are now accessible to visitors and serve as a reminder of this turbulent chapter in local history.