The Palacio de Bellas Artes in Alameda Central is a flamboyant hybrid of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, best known for its immense murals. It also has an architecture museum and a folklore museum, an elegant bookstore, a café, and temporary exhibitions.
This is a spectacular edifice decorated with marble columns and sculptures. Particularly notable are Art Deco decoration with steel Mayan masks and bronze cacti, an incredible glass mosaic, designed by Tiffany Studios in New York, depicting the valley of Mexico, and murals by Diego Rivera and Rufina Tamayo.
Following its inauguration, the Palace housed a theatre, art and book museum, library and restaurant. From 1946 it also became home to the National Arts Institute (INBA) and today is the most important culture centre in the Mexican Republic.