Casa de la Bola Museum

Photos courtesy of the Museo de la Bola website. Used by permission.

The historic mansion, nestled in the traditional neighborhood of Tacubaya in the Parque Lira , is an excellent place to visit that represents one of the few venues in the capital where viceregal architecture and European decorative arts masterfully interact. National and international visitors find a fascinating historical capsule here, surrounded by lush natural landscapes right in the urban heart.

The history of the property dates back to the sixteenth century, originally functioning as a prosperous estate producing olive oil and pulque. Illustrious figures of the stature of the famous “Güera” Rodríguez, the Marquise Calderón de la Barca, and the acclaimed writer José Zorrilla inhabited or walked through these halls. Antonio Haghenbeck y de la Lama acquired the property in 1942, dedicating his entire life to restoring and decorating it in the purest nineteenth-century European style. The visionary collector ultimately donated the building to the cultural foundation that bears the family name, ensuring its public preservation.

The complex amazes from the very first moment with a beautiful cobblestone central courtyard and corridors flanked by robust stone columns. The architectural restoration ingeniously integrated elements rescued from various aristocratic mansions demolished in the mid-twentieth century. The exterior dazzles with a spectacular romantically-inspired garden, elegantly adorned with winding pathways, classic fountains, and marble sculptures that blend with the tropical Mexican vegetation.

Thirteen imposing halls make up the permanent exhibition, housing an extensive and invaluable collection of decorative arts. The rooms exhibit sumptuous European tapestries, dazzling crystal chandeliers, antique clocks, fine porcelain, and exclusive Boulle-style furniture spanning from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. The pictorial collection boasts magnificent colonial works and canvases by prominent artists such as Pelegrín Clavé, while simultaneously safeguarding the enormous documentary archive of the founding family.

All photos are from the Haghenbeck Foundation website.

Hours: Sundays from 11:00 to 17:00 hours. Visits operate exclusively as guided tours.

Transportation: Tacubaya Metro Stations (Lines 1, 7, and 9) or Parque Lira Metrobús (Line 2).