Popular Art Museum (Museo de Arte Popular)

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Today this museum collects and exhibits a large variety of Mexican folk art and handicrafts including textiles, pottery, glass, alebrijes, furniture, ceramic sculpture and other examples of "artesanía." Originally, the building was a fire station with a central courtyard where fire trucks were parked. In the central historic city, the station became inadequate for the needs of the growing area so it was abandoned and fell into disrepair. Later, however, the building was dedicated to a new use as a museum and it was restored by Teodoro González de León.
	Art Deco architecture This building is considered to be one of the most important Art Deco structures in Mexico City. The corner tower facing the intersection once had a light at the top to signal emergencies.
Right: At the bottom of the walls, dark stone reliefs illustrate pre-Hispanic motifs. These reliefs circle the building.
Inner courtyard Fire trucks once occupied this space; three floors of offices surrounding the courtyard have been converted to exhibit and storage spaces. The inner courtyard is now covered by a modern glass cupola.

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