The Museo de las Artes (MUSA) of the Universidad de Guadalajara is one of the city’s best-loved cultural venues and one of the few places where you can enjoy art for free. It occupies a historic building on Av. Juárez, across from the Templo Expiatorio, and holds two treasures that many locals don’t even know are there: the murals José Clemente Orozco painted in the dome of the Paraninfo, the building’s main auditorium. This guide to the Museo de las Artes covers its history, the Orozco murals, the collection, exhibitions, guided tours and everything you need to plan your visit.
📍 Visitor information: Address: Av. Juárez 975, at the corner of Enrique Díaz de León, Colonia Americana. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (closed Mondays). Admission: free. Getting there: across from the Templo Expiatorio; the closest Tren Ligero (light rail) station is Mexicaltzingo (about a 6-minute walk, Lines 1 and 2). Guided tours: free, of the museum and the Paraninfo; groups and schools by appointment (grupos@musa.udg.mx · 33 3134 1664). Don’t miss: the Orozco murals in the Paraninfo dome.
A historic building: from university auditorium to museum
The building that now houses MUSA was planned in 1914, when engineer Alfredo Navarro Branca was commissioned to design two buildings, Constitución and Reforma, in an eclectic academic style with Art Nouveau details. The government intended to place the State Congress there, but in 1934 the Reforma building was handed over to the Universidad de Guadalajara. It officially opened on November 20, 1937, as the seat of the university’s central administration, and by then Orozco had already left his mark on the dome. In 1994 the ground floor became the Museo Universitario de Arte (MUSA), and in 2013 the entire building was turned into a museum, doubling its space. Today it covers just over 1,435 m² (about 15,450 sq ft), with 14 exhibition halls, the Paraninfo Enrique Díaz de León auditorium (seating 380), workshop rooms, a conference room, a multipurpose courtyard and a shop.
The Orozco murals, the heart of MUSA
MUSA was literally built around the murals of José Clemente Orozco. During his time in Guadalajara, between 1935 and 1939, the Jalisco-born artist painted three monumental works: in the Paraninfo, on the staircase of the Palacio de Gobierno and at the Hospicio Cabañas. The Paraninfo has two, signed in 1937: El hombre creador y rebelde (Creative and Rebellious Man) in the dome, and El pueblo y sus falsos líderes (The People and Their False Leaders) behind the stage. The dome mural was a major technical achievement: it was the first time Orozco painted a fresco on a concave surface, a vault 13.6 meters (about 45 feet) in diameter. In it he suspends four figures (the teacher, the scientist, known as the famous five-faced man, the technician and the rebel) who represent the roles of the university: teaching, science, technology and dissent. Opposite, The People and Their False Leaders depicts the masses manipulated by illegitimate leaders. Seeing them in person, lying back beneath the dome, is the best reason to visit the museum.
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The collection: Jalisco art in 14 halls
Beyond the murals, MUSA has its own collection, started in 1994 to document Guadalajara’s artistic boom of the 1980s and 1990s. It now includes more than 100 pieces (painting, sculpture and prints) by artists from Jalisco or based in the state, including Alejandro Colunga, Javier Arévalo, José Fors, Martha Pacheco, Ismael Vargas and Fernando González Gortázar, along with Mexican and international artists. The works rotate through the museum’s fourteen halls alongside temporary exhibitions, so there is almost always something new to see.
💡 Tip: MUSA’s temporary exhibitions change throughout the year; check the current schedule at musaudg.mx before you go. Since admission is free, it is easy to pair with a visit to the Templo Expiatorio, right across the street.
Landmark temporary exhibitions
MUSA stays fresh with a program of temporary exhibitions that changes over the year. The most memorable was Guillermo del Toro’s “At Home with Monsters” (En casa con mis monstruos), which in 2019 had MUSA as its only venue in Mexico. The show brought together more than 900 objects from the Guadalajara-born filmmaker’s personal collection, from his Bleak House residence in California, including characters from his films, costumes, notebooks and drawings that revealed his creative process. Its scale and exclusivity made it a milestone for the museum and showed the kind of exhibitions the venue can attract.
📖 Related articles: Hospicio Cabañas — Another site with Orozco murals and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Guided tours, accessibility and activities
The museum offers free guided tours of both the exhibitions and the Paraninfo, with a detailed explanation of the Orozco murals. There are also themed tours for schools and groups (Tuesday to Friday, by appointment, lasting 30 to 40 minutes), tours in Mexican Sign Language and for visitors with low vision, an artist-in-residence program, and the Museum Forum, held every year since 2015 as part of International Museum Day. MUSA is a member of ICOM, the International Council of Museums.
How to get to MUSA
The museum is at Av. Juárez 975, at the corner of Enrique Díaz de León, in Colonia Americana, directly across from the Templo Expiatorio. By public transportation, the closest Tren Ligero station is Mexicaltzingo (Lines 1 and 2), about a 6-minute walk away, and many bus routes run along the Juárez–Vallarta corridor. If you drive, there are public parking lots nearby, although the area is busy. Make a day of it by combining the museum with the Expiatorio and a walk around Colonia Americana.
📖 Keep exploring: Guadalajara Historic Center — Things to do downtown | Templo Expiatorio — The Neo-Gothic landmark right across from MUSA
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to visit MUSA?
Admission to the Museo de las Artes is free, including guided tours. Just check the hours and current exhibitions before you go.
What are MUSA’s opening hours?
It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It is closed on Mondays.
What can you see at the Museo de las Artes?
José Clemente Orozco’s murals in the Paraninfo, the museum’s collection of Jalisco art (more than 100 pieces) and temporary exhibitions that change throughout the year.
How much time do you need for a visit?
An hour to an hour and a half is enough to see the murals and the galleries; allow more time if there is a major temporary exhibition.
Is MUSA accessible?
Yes. It offers guided tours in Mexican Sign Language and for visitors with low vision, as well as tours for schools and groups by appointment.