A Tourist Trap

Wax Museums are invariably tourist traps...  even Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London, the most famous of them all.  Nevertheless, last week I went to Mexico City's Wax Museum.  Many, many years ago, I visited it with the purpose of taking pictures of famous people from Mexico's history to use in the classroom.  I figured that I would check it out again.  At least the admission price of 100 pesos isn't going to break the bank.

The museum is still located in an old mansion not far from the Paseo de la Reforma.

There were some figures that were amazingly lifelike, but the majority looked like... well, wax figures.  It also seemed that many of the figures were not very good likenesses, at least judging by pictures that I have seen of the people.  Perhaps half of the figures are of famous Mexicans, and would not be of much interest to the average tourist from the U.S.

Here's a quick review of Mexican history through photos I took in the museum...

Father Miguel Hidalgo was a parish priest who in 1810 began Mexico's war for independence from Spain.

José María Morelos continued the struggle for independence after 

the death of Father Hidalgo.

Antonio López de Santa Anna (known to us "gringos" as simply Santa Anna) was 

a strongman who dominated the early years of Mexico's independent history,

and who lost half of his country's territory in the Texas War

and the Mexican-American War.

Benito Juárez is Mexico's most revered President.

He brought liberal reforms to the country and fought against the French invasion.

Porfirio Díaz was dictator of Mexico for three and a half decades

until he was finally overthrown in the Mexican Revolution.

Francisco Madero's opposition to the dictatorship of Díaz led to the Mexican Revolution.

He was elected President, but was then murdered in a coupe-d'état.

Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa were two major figures during the chaotic years

of the Mexican Revolution.

Here are some other famous Mexican celebrities...

Carlos Slim is the richest man in Mexico, and one of the richest in the world.

From the world of art here are...

Diego Rivera and his wife Frida Kahlo.

Cantinflas was Mexico's most famous movie comedian.

Dolores del Río was a famous movie star who also made it big in Hollywood.

Unknown in the United States, María Félix, was Mexico's most glamorous 

movie star, and was sometimes called "the Elizabeth Taylor of Mexico".

Finally, here is an animated figure of Plácido Domingo singing "Granada".

Yes, the wax museum is a tourist trap, but at least I didn't go into the "Ripley's Believe It or Not" museum next door!