Opened at the Mixcoac subway station, the Metro Museum displays the history of the Collective Transportation System (STC) via a collection of objects, paintings, designs, and photos.

Mexico City’s subway system was built in the 1960s as part of modernization efforts deployed in preparation of the 1968 Summer Olympics. However, because of the magnitude of the work, the system wasn’t actually inaugurated until 1969.

During excavations undertaken while building the subway, the workers found a medley of archaeological and paleontological pieces, including mammoth bones, Aztec figurines, and viceregal dolls. Today, those pieces are displayed in the museum.

An all-star team of architects helped with the subway system’s planning, including Felix Candela and Rina Lazo. One of the museum’s rooms shows original, unpublished plans for some of the stations’ designs. You’ll also see the minimalist designs Lance Wyman created for the stations’ typography.

In 1969, instead of advertising posters, the city displayed huge electronic boards that showed photos of Mexico in neon colors. One of the museum’s rooms shows fragments of those photos, and a replica of the original designs.

Another area shows images of hostesses leading passengers to the leather seats during the subway system’s initial years. The main hall of the museum exhibits a collection of thousands of commemorative subway tickets issued since 1969. The end of the museum houses a permanent exhibit showcasing the art collection of the Pascual Cultural Foundation.

Update as of March 2022: Following the collapse of an overpass in May 2021, the entirety of Line 12 and its stations have remained closed. The latest estimates have the line reopening in 2024.