Museo Nacional de Historia, National museum in Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City, Mexico.
The Museo Nacional de Historia fills Chapultepec Castle, a two-storey tan and grey stone building whose raised arcade of round arches opens onto a paved courtyard. Above the arches a balustraded terrace holds stone urns with pink flowers, and a curved pediment at the top left carries a round clock face. Inside are twelve permanent history rooms and twenty-two Alcázar rooms recreating the imperial residence.
The museum opened in 1944 and occupies a former castle that served as the residence of Emperor Maximilian I. The building underwent several transformations before becoming the history museum it is today.
The museum's name comes from the 1939 decree by Lázaro Cárdenas that created the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. Its 22 Alcázar rooms recreate the imperial residence, including Carlota's bedchamber, the smoking room and the ambassadors' hall. In the gallery behind the glass partition, the word "auditorio" marks the entrance to the auditorium.
The castle sits at the highest point of Chapultepec Hill and is accessible by public transportation or on foot through forest paths. Visitors should plan time to enjoy the windows and terraces that offer wide views across the city.
The museum's collection began with about 15,000 objects in 1939, according to José de Jesús Núñez y Domínguez. It now holds more than 60,000 pieces, which are also lent to other museums in Mexico.
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