For such a small city, Oaxaca surprised me with the quantity (and quality) of its museums. Throughout the city, small institutions offered insight into crafts, history and art. There was so much to see that we didn’t have time for it all. And since Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Oaxaca was closed during our visit, it will be at the top of my list to visit on my next trip.

Photographic Center Manuel Álvarez Bravo

Named after one of the most important photographers of the 20th century, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, this museum is dedicated to preserving and showcasing photographic art from Oaxaca and the rest of Mexico. The small museum, in a colonial building with a bougainvillea-draped courtyard, had just one exhibit during our visit, a series of arresting large-scale nudes by Patricia Aridjis. There’s also a small (yet densely packed) library of photography books to peruse and a gift shop.

Photographic Center Manuel Alvarez Bravo
Manuel Bravo 116. No phone.