If you have been touring around Mexico, you must be wondering where those spooky skeleton paper maché or bizarre-looking toys and figurines come from, and why they are so common throughout Mexico. Here at Museo de Arte Popular (or Museum of Popular art), your curiosity can be quelled with a historical and informative display of the ‘Popular Art’ which you have been seeing. This charming museum showcases some 2000 contemporary and traditional pieces of handicrafts, folk art and more that reflect Mexico’s cultural and geographical diversity. The vast collections range from pottery and textiles to indigenous costumes and religious art. Creative exhibits with video screens and immersive performances tell the intriguing stories of these eccentric crafts and how they represent a cultural theme that makes them so symbolic to the locals. As an example, those eccentric skulls and skeletons are associated with Dia de Muertos or Day of the Dead rituals. You don’t have to be an art fanatic to enjoy the assortment of colorful pieces and simply have fun at this museum.

The museum itself is located in one of the city’s most spectacular Art Deco buildings sporting a pure-white, stylish look. It is best known for organizing an annual night parade of “monumental alebrijes”, large-carved figures that resemble fantastical creatures.