Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico

Visit duration: 2 hours Editorial visit time estimate

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

About Ciudad Universitaria

Ciudad Universitaria (University City) is the main campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), in the borough of Coyoacán in the south of Mexico City. Designed by the architects Mario Pani and Enrique del Moral, it was built in the 1950s on El Pedregal, a solidified lava bed 6 to 8 metres thick left by the Xitle volcano around 100 AD, to replace scattered buildings downtown. It was completed in 1954, and its central campus was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

Checked 2026-11-10 · Source

What's inside

The campus encloses the Olympic Stadium, about 40 faculties and institutes, the Cultural Centre, an ecological reserve, the Central Library, the National Library of Mexico and several museums. Most buildings are low, with gardens and volcanic stone, but the Rectorate Tower and the Central Library stand apart and are covered in murals by David Alfaro Siqueiros and Juan O'Gorman; O'Gorman's mural wraps all sides of the library, its most iconic building. The open campus is popular on Sundays with families exploring its patios, gardens and paths.

Checked 2026-11-10 · Source