El Caballito

The famous bronze equestrian statue of Charles IV of Spain, popularly known as "El Caballito" (the "Little Horse"); also by Manuel Tolsá, it was modelled on a statue by the French sculptor Girardon. The statue originally stood on the Zócalo, but after independence it was moved to various places in the city before finally ending up at its present site. El Caballito is located between the National Art Museum and the Palacio de Minería.

The National Art Museum

Palacelike building, designed by Italian architect Silvio Contri and completed in 1911 — a legacy of Europe-loving Porfirio Díaz’s era — was built to house the government’s offices of Communications and Public Works. Díaz occupied the opulent second-floor salon, where he welcomed visiting dignitaries. The National Museum of Art took over the building in 1982. Wander through the immense rooms with polished wooden floors as you view the wealth of paintings showing Mexico’s art development, primarily covering the period from 1810 to 1950.

The Palacio de Minería

Built c. 1800 by Manuel Tolsá in the French-influenced Neo-Classical style of the period. Until 1954 it housed the College of Mining Engineers.