Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ambuluwawa Tower
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
Hesperus Mountain.
Hesperus Mountain
Miniature Collection at Museo del Pueblo de Guanajuato
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
U.S. Air Force Capt. Samuel “RaZZ” Larson, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander, passes over the flight line at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 9, 2024
Who Swarmed Langley Air Force Base With Drones?
about 21 hours ago
Our producer Manolo Morales would spend his final days perusing the shelves at Book Off.
Where Would You Go to Wait for the Apocalypse?
2 days ago
This event showcasing the bounty of the Traverse City region’s amazing agriculture, craft, and creativity culminates with a Grand Tasting on August 23.
The Atlas Obscura Guide to Traverse City’s Event Season
3 days ago
She’ll get you and your little dog too.
Dear Atlas: Where Can I Explore Witch History Without the Kitsch?
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Mexico Mexico City Zócalo Metro Models

Zócalo Metro Models

These subterranean models show Mexico City's central square during three different eras.

Mexico City, Mexico

Added By
Mario Yair T.S.
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
1824 model.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
1824 model.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
1521 model.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
1900 model.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Zócalo Metro Models   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
The plaque removed in 2018.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Old pictures at the sides.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
The model at the subway.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Independent Mexico.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Prehispanic era.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The 1969 construction of Mexico City’s subway was an ambitious urban project. As part of the project, the National Institute of Anthropology and History donated three models that were placed in the Zócalo subway station, showing the capital's central square during three different eras, specifically the years 1521, 1824, and 1900.

The models sat below ground for decades, growing dusty. As the years went on and new archaeological studies were made within the city, it became clear that these models weren’t quite accurate. So, in 2018, the three models were updated to better reflect Mexico City’s history.

The 1521 model shows the city of Mexico-Tenochtitlán a few months before the conquest of Mexico. It was updated to reflect the discovery of the Templo Mayor and that the area was already paved. It also now shows a sacred tree that was discovered in 2012, and depicts the pyramids as they would have been decorated.

The model depicting 1824 shows the Plaza Mayor three years after the end of the Mexican War of Independence. The artwork shows the old El Parián market, the El Volador market, the equestrian statue of Charles IV of Spain, and the National Palace, which only had two floors at that time. The flag Mexico used at that time flies from the roofs of houses, and the streets are dotted with tiny cats and people shopping at the markets.

The one of 1900 shows Victorian-era Mexico City. At the center of the model, there’s a public park fringed by tram stations, as well as a formal market. The buildings of the town hall had not yet been built.

The history lesson does not end with the model. Unlike in other stations, instead of advertising posters, the Zócalo subway station displays giant photos of the area as they appeared on different postcards from the 20th century. There was also a plaque on one side of the subway that recalled the station’s inauguration on September 13, 1970, by President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz. However, that plaque was removed in October 2018 because it was intended to take away the merits of the president who had ordered the massacre of students in the Plaza de Tlatelolco in 1968.

Related Tags

Cities Models Miniatures Miniature Towns Aztec Subways
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Oaxaca: Markets, Mezcal & Home-Cooked Meals

A Culinary and Cultural Journey Through Oaxaca.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Mario Yair TS

Edited By

Monsieur Mictlan, Xavixavir

  • Monsieur Mictlan
  • Xavixavir

Published

June 21, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Z%C3%B3calo
Zócalo Metro Models
8 Plaza de la Constitución
Government Camp
Mexico City, 06000
Mexico
19.433349, -99.132965
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Skull Rack of the Great Temple

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Serpents of the Great Temple

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Monoliths of the Templo Mayor

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico

Places 180
Stories 17

Nearby Places

Skull Rack of the Great Temple

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Serpents of the Great Temple

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Monoliths of the Templo Mayor

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico

Places 180
Stories 17

Related Places

  • Taylors, South Carolina

    Model Trains Station

    This delightful attraction features over a dozen miniature train layouts which you can operate and interact with.

  • Minibyen Sæby on a sunny day.

    Sæby, Denmark

    Minibyen Sæby

    Residents of this seaside village are building a miniature 1:10 scale version of their historic town.

  • The model railroad.

    Jonesport, Maine

    Maine Central Model Railroad

    An elderly widow still operates the incredibly detailed model railroad she and her husband built by hand.

  • The Grand Model of Russia

    Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Grand Maket Rossiya (Grand Model of Russia)

    A scale model of Russia so big visitors are offered binoculars to rent so they can see the whole thing.

  • New Orleans, Louisiana

    The New Orleans Train Garden

    Tiny historical streetcars wind through a small scale version of Crescent City in this whimsical train garden.

  • Circus

    Tequisquiapan, Mexico

    Mexico Me Encanta! Miniature Museum

    This detailed miniature model covers all aspects of life in a small Mexican village.

  • Red Square scaled down

    Moscow, Russia

    Miniature Moscow

    Back in the tiny USSR.

  • Corris, Wales

    'Little Italy'

    One man's love affair with this Mediterranean country has been turned into a work of whimsical delight.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.