This gorgeous, sprawling cultural center is an oasis of calm at Pachuca’s bustling heart. Formerly the Convento de San Francisco, the complex includes three excellent museums, an art gallery, a theater, a library and several lovely plazas. It’s worth looking into the impressive (and still functioning) Parroquia de San Francisco church as well. From Plaza de la Independencia, walk two blocks east to Miguel Hidalgo and about 650m south to the corner of Hidalgo and Arista.
One highlight is the excellent Museo Nacional de la Fotografía , which displays early imaging technology and stunning selections from the 1.5 million photos in the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) archives. The images – some by Europeans and Americans, many more by pioneering Mexican photojournalists such as Nacho López and Agustín Victor Casasola – provide a fascinating glimpse of Mexico from 1873 to the present.
