Last Updated on: 16th December 2023, 09:46 pm
Aguascalientes, located in the state of the same name, is one of the lesser-visited cities of Mexico’s Bajío region. And frankly speaking, few would consider it the country’s prettiest big city. But among Mexicans, it’s revered for being the birthplace of influential artist José Guadalupe Posada, and his museum is one of this Aguascalientes guide’s main highlights.
Keep reading to learn about the top things to do in town over the course of a few days. And at the end of the article, you can learn more about reaching the city, where to stay, and whether or not Aguascalientes is really worth the visit.
Around The Center
The Bajío region of Mexico is home to some of the country’s most beautiful cities, such as San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas or Guanajuato. And they’re typically centered around well-preserved, immersive historical centers.
Aguascalientes, in contrast, lacks a distinct historical center beyond its main plaza. But while considerably more modern and gritty than the Centro districts of neighboring cities, this is still where you’re going to find many of Aguascalientes’s important landmarks.
Plaza de la Patria
The main plaza of Aguascalientes is known as Plaza de la Patria, and facing it is the city’s most important cathedral. The Catedral Basilica De Nuestra Señora De La Asunción, or just the Catedral de Aguascalientes for short, was constructed in 1738 in the Baroque style.
Walking through the plaza, you’ll find various other monuments, statues and green spaces for relaxing in the nice weather. Also facing the plaza is the Palacio de Gobierno, known for its controversial murals.
The Regional Museum
Just about every city and state in Mexico has a local history museum, and Aguascalientes is no exception. As Aguascalientes is one of Mexico’s smallest states, this museum is also small, but it still serves as a fine introduction to the region’s history.
It starts off with Aguascalientes’s pre-Hispanic past. As the area was largely home to semi-nomadic Chichimecas, it lacks the glorious stone settlements you’ll find further south. But the Teotihuacanos apparently built outposts here many centuries ago.
The most prominent archaeological site in the state is El Ocote, which is home to some remarkable pictographs, but from my research, there’s not an easy or straightforward way to get there as a day trip.
The Aguascalientes Regional Museum is situated within a former 19th-century residence. As such, some of the rooms have been preserved to serve as reminders of the city’s past.
Among the most interesting sections is a domestic chapel, where wealthy residents could pray without having to visit a church. With that being said, the historic Templo de Merced is located right across the street.
Museo Nacional de La Muerte
The Museo Nacional de la Muerte, or the National Museum of Death, is widely regarded as one of the top attractions in the city. Sadly, it was closed for renovations at the time of my visit and I never got a chance to enter.
But if you do get the opportunity to visit, you should find various funerary objects from cultures throughout Mexico from ancient until modern times.
The José Guadalupe Posada Museum
Few artists have had as massive of an impact on modern Mexican art as José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913). Even if you haven’t heard his name before, you’ve certainly seen ‘calaveras,’ or skeletons, used in Mexican murals and folk art, which Posada is credited with popularizing.
While Posada is famous throughout Mexico, he was born and raised right here in Aguascalientes. As such, this museum, which was opened in 1972, is the best place to see his original works and learn about his life.
The museum is located in the former monastery of the 18th-century Templo del Señor del Encino. Unfortunately for foreign visitors, this museum is in Spanish only, but what follows is a summary of Posada’s life and career.
As a young child, Posada studied drawing at a local art academy in Aguascalientes. And throughout his career, he created a variety of works which were usually widely distributed and intended for the masses.
For example, in Posada’s era, small, cheaply made paper books called chapbooks, which consisted of between several and a couple dozen pages, were very popular. And he made money by creating children’s books, almanacs and more.
But Posada is mostly known and remembered for his political satire.
He began satirizing the local politicians of Aguascalientes from early on in his career. But he quickly learned that this was a quick and easy way to make powerful enemies (journalism remains one of the most dangerous professions in Mexico to this day).
For his safety, Posada had to move his workshop to Léon, Guanajuato in 1872, living there until 1888. This was around the start of the Porfiriato, or the period between 1876-1911 when Mexico was ruled by Porfirio Díaz – essentially a dictator who was known to censor the press.
Nevertheless, Posada would continue satirizing both politicians and the Mexican bourgeoisie, who would often mimic the dress and mannerisms of Europeans. He commonly depicted powerful members of society as skeletons in fancy dress, reminding us that rich or poor, we’ll all ultimately meet the same fate.
José Guadalupe Posada wasn’t the first to use skeletal imagery, however. It was actually Manuel Alfonso Manilla (1830-1895), Posada’s mentor upon his move to Mexico City in 1888, who first drew skeletons in modern dress.
While originally used as satire, calavera (skeleton) imagery has since become a major part of the Day of the Dead festivities across Mexico and is now a common theme used throughout Mexican folk art as a whole.
While Posada would die relatively poor during the tumultuous times of the Mexican Revolution, he would go on to have a major influence over later Mexican artists.
Among them was Diego Rivera, who’d use Posada’s ‘La Catrina’ in his famous 1947 painting ‘Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park,’ in which she stands in the midst of prominent Mexican historical and cultural figures.
In addition to original prints, the museum also contains numerous examples of original engravings. A visit to the José Guadalupe Posada Museum is arguably the number one activity of this Aguascalientes guide.
Museo de Aguascalientes
Despite its name, the Museo de Aguascalientes isn’t a museum that showcases the history of the city. Rather, it’s your fairly standard art museum. But like many museums around Mexico, it’s set in a gorgeous historical building.
The structure was built in 1903 in the Neoclassical style. After admiring its Greek-inspired facade, walk around to the side where you’ll find the official entrance.
The museum is centered around an open-air courtyard and you’ll find various exhibits in the surrounding hallways. They display a mix between modern and colonial-era art.
Just nearby the museum, meanwhile, are two remarkable buildings. The Templo de San Antonio de Padua was built by architect Refugio Reyes Rivas from 1895-1908. It draws from a unique blend of influences, such as Baroque, Gothic and even Islamic architecture.
To the east of the Aguascalientes Museum, meanwhile, is the Castillo Ortega-Douglass, a Scottish-style castle right in the heart of a Mexican city!
In the 19th century, a Scottish immigrant named John Douglass moved to Aguascalientes, striking it rich. Later on, his grandson Edmundo Ortega Douglas would use his inheritance to build this castle.
The castle was recently sold in 2015 and was fenced off at the time of my visit. Construction was ongoing outside, so who knows what the future holds in store for this structure.
The Old Train Station
As a thriving industrial city, Aguascalientes used to serve as a major transport hub for both freight and passenger trains. And today, visitors have a chance to see many of these old train cars both inside and out.
There are two main sections of the museum, one of which is the Museo Ferrocarrilero, situated in the old train station that opened in 1911. While it seemed to be closed during my visit, it was impressive from the outside, at least.
The old tracks and trains themselves, meanwhile, were free to visit.
The various train cars on display seem to date from the 19th or early 20th centuries all the way up into the modern era. And some of them are open for visitors to explore.
While freight trains still exist, Mexico’s passenger rail system ceased operations in 1997. But given the country’s large size and traffic problems, it’s too bad that these trains are now merely museum exhibits and not something you can still ride.
Interestingly, however, there’s been a lot of talk about revitalizing the country’s passenger rail system, including a high-speed rail network with help from China.
But at the time of writing, the Tren Maya on the opposite side of the country is the only project that seems to be nearing completion.
The Hot Springs
Aguascalientes translates to ‘hot springs’ (or more literally, hot water) after the natural thermal springs that can be found in the general area. Accordingly, one would assume that visiting such a spring would be one of the top things to do in the city.
In the city proper, there’s only one option for such an experience: Baños Termales de Ojocaliente. Having had positive experiences with hot baths and springs in other parts of the world, I was looking forward to visiting, especially during this relatively cold winter.
The baths here are completely private, so don’t expect to be bathing with strangers like you would in Japan or other countries. But if you’re traveling as a couple or family, you can book a larger room which fits multiple people.
At the time of my visit, they weren’t taking reservations, with all the bathing rooms going on a first-come-first-served basis. Arriving on a weekday morning, I was the first customer there.
I paid a few hundred pesos for an hour in the smallest available room, while things like towels and soap cost extra. Therefore, it would be wise to bring your own.
After paying, a staff member led me to the room and did some light cleaning of the tub area. But as you can tell from these photos, things still didn’t look all that clean.
But I was able to overlook that as long as I could enjoy a relaxing hot bath. But once the tub was partly filled, I stepped in the water, only to find it lukewarm at best!
Thinking something was wrong, I was about to go get dressed and ask the staff. But first, I decided to check my phone for online reviews, and noticed that many others were complaining about the same thing!
And so I had no choice but to use up the rest of my time that I’d paid for in the lukewarm water.
In response to reviews, I’ve seen the establishment defend the temperature, claiming it’s just how the water naturally comes up from the ground. But places like Japan heat up the thermal water at its onsens, not to mention the ancient Romans.
Back outside, I didn’t feel the slightest bit relaxed, refreshed or rejuvenated, despite the supposed healing properties of the water.
And I couldn’t help but feel that Aguascalientes should change its name, but ‘Aguastibias’ (tepid water) doesn’t have quite the same ring to it!
More Around Aguascalientes
Beyond what we’ve covered in the Aguascalientes guide above, there are still a few more attractions to check out around town.
Contemporary art fans shouldn’t miss Museo Espacio, located near the old train station. The space is huge, and so are many of the pieces within it. Inaugurated in 2016, the museum houses rotating exhibits by artists from both Mexico and abroad.
Next to one of the city’s main cemeteries is the Templo del Señor de los Rayos, or Temple of the Lord of the Rays. It’s said to house an image that somehow survived a lightning strike, and which has been credited with various miracles.
Believe it or not, this location was originally the crypt where the image was first placed, and it was eventually turned into a church. But the facade takes on a modern and rather bizarre appearance.
The structure was fenced off and closed during my visit, so I was unable to get up close.
Additional Info
Aguascalientes has its own airport with connections to Mexico City, Cancun, Monterrey and a few other cities. You can also fly internationally from Dallas, Chicago or Los Angeles.
Most visitors will probably be coming by bus. Aguascalientes is just a few hours away from other cities in the Bajio region like Zacatecas or Léon. Upon arrival at the main bus terminal, it will be easy to take and Uber or Didi to your hotel.
Renting a car is also a convenient way to explore the region and to reach the attractions in the Aguascalientes guide above.
Generally speaking, the closer you are to the center, the better. Staying relatively central will allow you to reach most of the locations in the above Aguascalientes guide on foot.
For those looking to splurge a bit, Fiesta Americana Aguascalientes is a great top-rated option, while a good mid-range choice would be Hotel Francia Aguascalientes.
Popular budget options, meanwhile, include Hotel Imperial and Hotel Colonial. I stayed at the latter, where I got a room with a private bathroom and fast internet for a great price.
The downside, however, was the noise. The sound from the hallway reverberates tremendously, and my room also happened to be near the main staircase. But you may have a better experience based on the position of your room.
Having been to many of the cities and towns in the Bajío region, I have a difficult time recommending Aguascalientes over its neighbors.
While it’s not a ‘bad’ place by any means, and it is indeed one of Mexico’s safest large cities, it falls short compared with its nearby cities in a number of different categories.
As mentioned above, despite what the maps might say, Aguascalientes lacks a real Centro Histórico. The city’s historical area is basically just a single plaza, while the rest of its traditional architecture is scattered amongst modern developments.
As such, there’s no real sense of immersion like you get when walking through the historical districts of San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas or Querétaro, for example.
All in all, Aguascalientes lacks the variety of attractions that its neighboring cities have, while the thing for which it’s named – the hot springs – aren’t anything to write home about.
From the perspective of a tourist, Aguascalientes is probably only worth visiting for those doing longer, more extensive travels through Mexico or those who ultimately want to see every state.
On the other hand, if you’re a resident of Mexico or a long-term digital nomad, Aguascalientes is known for its cheap cost of living, so it would indeed make for a safe and convenient base.