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    José Clemente Orozco's frescoes under the stone arcades of the main patio at the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, Ciudad de México

    Photo by José Luiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso

    Landmark Cuauhtémoc, Ciudad de México Municipality of Cuauhtémoc Valley of Mexico

    Jesuit college turned museum where Mexican muralism was born: Orozco's frescoes wrap three floors of the main patio, a block from the Zócalo.

    From Toluca: 1 h 5 min by car (65 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Tours from Mexico City Teotihuacan pyramids morning or afternoon without tourist traps ★ 4.9 (10,252) · From US$59
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    How to get to Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso

    • From Toluca: about 1 h 5 min by road (~65 km)
    • Nearest airport: Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), 48 min by car to Tepotzotlán
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    Tours from Mexico City, near Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso

    Teotihuacan pyramids morning or afternoon without tourist traps ★ 4.9 (10,252) 5 h 30 min From US$59
    Balloon flight + Breakfast in cave + Pyramids + Pick up CDMX. ★ 4.9 (8,169) 2–8 h From US$149
    Xochimilco, Coyoacan and Frida Kahlo with Optional Lunch ★ 4.5 (8,387) 9 h From US$40
    Balloon flight + pick up in CDMX + Breakfast in Cave + Pyramids ★ 4.9 (7,664) 4–7 h From US$157
    Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloon Flight from Mexico City / Volare ★ 4.8 (4,438) 3–9 h From US$144

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    About Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso

    The Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso fills a long stretch of Justo Sierra street in the historic centre of Mexico City. The Jesuits founded the college in 1588 as a seminary and turned it into one of the most important schools of New Spain; the great building of stone arcades you see today is the result of a rebuilding in the early 18th century. After the Jesuits were expelled in 1767 it served as barracks and lecture halls, and it housed U.S. troops in 1847 and French ones in 1862. In 1867, under Benito Juárez, it became the home of the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, the high school that later joined the National University.

    It was here that Mexican muralism began. In 1922 the education minister José Vasconcelos handed the school's walls to a group of young painters. Diego Rivera painted his first mural, La Creación, in the Anfiteatro Simón Bolívar; Jean Charlot, Fernando Leal, Fermín Revueltas and Ramón Alva de la Canal covered the stairways and corridors; David Alfaro Siqueiros worked in the small patio. José Clemente Orozco painted from 1923 to 1926 on the north walls of all three floors of the main patio and on the main staircase, in scenes such as La trinchera, La trinidad revolucionaria and Cortés y la Malinche that are among the most powerful images in Mexican art.

    The preparatory school moved out in the late 20th century, and since 1992 the building has been a museum and cultural centre run by UNAM together with the federal and city culture authorities. Most visitors come for the murals, which you can see on your own or on a guided tour, but San Ildefonso also stages large temporary exhibitions, from architecture festivals to shows on the university's history, plus a memorial to the poet Octavio Paz, films and workshops. Entry is free on Sundays, and the cloakroom will hold larger bags. It is a short walk from the Zócalo and easy to combine with the other sights of the Centro Histórico.

    How to get to Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso

    Drive from Toluca: 1 h 5 min, 65 km

    San Ildefonso is at Justo Sierra 16 in the Centro Histórico. The nearest Metro station is Zócalo on Line 2, a few minutes' walk away; from the station, walk north from the main square to Justo Sierra. The museum's website gives no parking information, and the Metro is the simplest way into the historic centre.

    Directions to Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

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    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm; ticket sales stop at 5:30 pm. Closed Mondays. Colegio de San Ildefonso · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    50 pesos; free on Sundays. Students and teachers with ID pay 25 pesos; children under 12, people with disabilities and INAPAM seniors enter free. On the last Wednesday of the month (Noche de Museos) entry is 25 pesos. Colegio de San Ildefonso · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    Free guided tours of the murals, the building and the Octavio Paz memorial run at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm and 4 pm with your ticket; times may change. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Colegio de San Ildefonso · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Avoid bringing heavy bags, suitcases or large backpacks; a cloakroom is open 11 am to 6 pm. Colegio de San Ildefonso · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso: what to see and do

    Walk the three floors of the main patio lined with José Clemente Orozco's frescoes, including La trinchera.
    Climb the main staircase, where Orozco also painted the first landing.
    Find Diego Rivera's first mural, La Creación, in the Anfiteatro Simón Bolívar.
    Look for the early works by Jean Charlot, Fernando Leal, Fermín Revueltas and Ramón Alva de la Canal on the stairways and corridors.
    See the current temporary exhibitions in the old classrooms.
    Join a free guided tour of the murals, included with your ticket.
    Visit the Octavio Paz memorial.

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    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at NLU (Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles)): about 48 min by road to Tepotzotlán, then 33 km more to Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), about 48 min by road from Tepotzotlán, the base for Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso.

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    When to go to Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso cool

    Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso shares the climate of Tepotzotlán, 33 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

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    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Tepotzotlán

    Churrigueresque facade and tower of San Francisco Javier with its atrium cross, Tepotzotlán, Estado de México cool
    Estado de México Tepotzotlán

    Tepotzotlán is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.