moments to see Guadalajara’s popular culture in action.
Museo Huichol Wixárika: Indigenous Art Next to the Basilica
Attached to the Franciscan convent, in the former chapter house, is the Museo Etnográfico Huichol Wixárika, one of the best places to understand Jalisco’s Indigenous culture. The museum displays traditional and contemporary art by the Wixárika people (also known as Huichol): beadwork, yarn paintings (nierika), ritual sculptures, masks and brightly colored crafts that represent their cosmology and sacred rituals.
The Wixáritari are one of the Indigenous peoples in Mexico who have best preserved their ancestral culture. Their art is not decorative: every figure, color and symbol has a precise spiritual meaning tied to their deities, their peyote rituals and their relationship with nature. Visiting the museum means stepping into a visual world of its own, radically different from the Western tradition that dominates the rest of the complex. The Museo Huichol is the perfect complement to the Basilica of Zapopan: two different religious worlds that coexisted, and still coexist, in the same space.
ℹ️ Museo Huichol Wixárika: Eva Briseño 152 (Chapter House, next to the Basilica) · Mon-Sat: 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 3:00-6:00 p.m. · Sun: 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. · Admission: by donation · Phone: (33) 36336614
MAZ (Museo de Arte de Zapopan): Contemporary Art Next to the Basilica
Less than 50 meters (about 165 feet) from the Basilica’s facade, on Andador 20 de Noviembre, is the Museo de Arte de Zapopan (MAZ), one of the most important contemporary art spaces in western Mexico. Founded in 2002, MAZ shows work by leading Mexican and international artists in its galleries. Its program alternates large-scale temporary exhibitions with permanent collections that include prints, photography, installation and video art.
MAZ also has a sister space, EstacionMAZ, an exhibition and performance venue a few steps away that works as an experimental extension of the main museum. Together they form one of the most active cultural hubs in the Guadalajara metro area. Best of all, admission to MAZ is completely free every day of the year. If you visit the Basilica on a Thursday, the museum stays open until 10:00 p.m., so you can make a full cultural afternoon of it in downtown Zapopan.
ℹ️ MAZ Museo de Arte de Zapopan: Andador 20 de Noviembre 166, Centro Zapopan · Tue-Sun: 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. · Thursday: 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. · Closed Mondays · Free admission · maz.zapopan.gob.mx
Museo JAPI (Jalisco Paseo Interactivo)
Zapopan’s largest and newest museum. JAPI occupies the site of the former Trompo Mágico children’s museum and has turned it into an 8,300-square-meter (about 89,000 sq ft) interactive space with 90 exhibits, five themed zones (Identity, Nature, Creativity, Person and Little Ones’ Zone) and Werika, a flying theater with robotic seats that simulates a flight over Jalisco. It is the ideal choice if you are looking for a museum to visit with kids. See our complete guide to Museo JAPI for hours, prices and tips for your visit.
ℹ️ Museo JAPI: Av. Central Guillermo González Camarena 750, Residencial Poniente, Zapopan · Tue-Fri: 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. · Sat-Sun: 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. · Closed Mondays · General admission MXN $150 · japipaseointeractivo.mx