🏠Museo Casa Kahlo: The newest Mexico City museum for Frida fans
This museum, located in a former Kahlo family home in Mexico City's Coyoacán neighborhood, focuses on what Frida Kahlo's family connections meant to her.
The long-standing Museo Frida Kahlo, which showcases her life and work, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Mexico City, and it’s worth a visit, as is the studio museum in San Angel, Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo
Now, there’s a new museum, Museo Casa Kahlo, that focuses on Kahlo’s childhood and connections to her family.
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🗺️Getting there and getting in
Museo Casa Kahlo is in Mexico City’s Coyoacán neighborhood, just a few blocks from the more-famous museum. With a little planning, you could visit both in the same day (not Monday or Tuesday).
We just walked up on a Sunday afternoon, and we were able to get tickets right away. But you can buy tickets online for $270 MXN ($13.50 USD) for a date and time well in advance.
🖼️What to expect
You’ll wait for a few minutes in a small, pretty courtyard, then enter and watch a short movie that gives you a nice overview of Kahlo’s early life and what to expect in the museum.
After that, you can choose to join a guided tour (Spanish-only, at least when we visited) or see the museum on your own. Almost all of the exhibits have signage in Spanish and English.
The first area you see is a hallway that showcases Kahlo’s family connections and how meaningful they were to her.
Curtains on one side of the hallway feature embroidered quotes. This one, which translates directly to “I sky you,” is reportedly something Kahlo said to express love that’s as big as the sky.
As you move toward the next room, you’ll see a decorative frame hanging in front of an iconic photo of Kahlo.
Next is the darkroom of Kahlo’s father, Guillermo Kahlo. Some of his photos of Mexico City’s buildings and his family are displayed in the museum as well.
From the darkroom, you enter the kitchen, where the walls are covered in murals. There’s info explaining that all the Kahlo women, except Frida, were good cooks. :)
The dining room is next.
There, you see another short movie, projected on the walls. It focuses on Kahlo’s time in the U.S. and her letters to and from her family.
Past the dining room is the bathroom, with a projection that makes it appear as if the tub is full of water.
And then a bedroom with a spiral staircase leading up to a loft.
As you approach a stairway, there’s a small display of Kahlo’s clothing.
Downstairs is a collection of Kahlo family photos and letters. The descriptions are in Spanish and English, but the letters themselves are not translated.
Back upstairs, a wall displays a collection of paintings and sketches.
And finally, of course, you exit through the gift shop.
🚶🏼➡️Should you go?
We liked this little museum a lot, and recommend it for:
People who live in Mexico City
People in Mexico City for longer vacations or work trips
People who can’t get enough of all things Frida
If you only have a few days in Mexico City, and you’re tight on time, you might want to save it for a future trip.
Have you been to Museo Casa Kahlo, Museo Frida Kahlo, or Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo? Let us know what you thought in the comments!
