The Museo Universitario Casa de los Muñecos is one of my (many) favourite museums in Puebla City. Built in 1784, it is a distinctive example of late colonial civil architecture and today functions as a university museum administered by the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP). The building is attributed to Agustín de Ovando y Villavicencio, a prominent local official who constructed it in the late eighteenth century during a period of economic and cultural flourishing in Puebla (Lugares Turísticos en México 2021; Programa Destinos México 2021), while the site itself has deeper historical roots dating back to the sixteenth century when land in the area was granted to early colonial settlers, later passing through various elite owners before Ovando acquired it in 1784 (Puebla City 2023; Wikipedia 2024).
Architecturally, the Casa de los Muñecos is renowned for its richly ornamented façade in the barroco poblano style, characterized by the use of Talavera tile, red brick, and gray quarry stone arranged in a symmetrical three-level composition with balconies, decorative panels, and an ornate cornice, reflecting a fusion of European Baroque aesthetics with local artistic traditions (Wikipedia 2024; Wheree 2025), and its most iconic feature is the series of sixteen anthropomorphic figures embedded in the façade: known as “los muñecos,” [“the dolls” or “the toys”] which have inspired multiple interpretations, including the popular legend that they mock city officials who opposed the building’s construction height and scholarly interpretations suggesting they represent classical themes such as the Labours of Hercules or allegorical concepts (Museo BUAP n.d.; Lugares Turísticos en México 2021; Wikipedia 2024). In the twentieth century, the building underwent a major transformation when it was acquired by BUAP in 1983 and restored for use as a museum, officially opening in 1987 after efforts to preserve its historical integrity while adapting it for public and academic use, though it required further restoration following damage from the 1999 earthquake before reopening in 2006 (BUAP 2024; México Escultura 2024; Wikipedia 2024); today, the museum houses a collection of more than 4,000 objects, including paintings, furniture, engravings, scientific instruments, and decorative arts, with works by notable artists such as Cristóbal de Villalpando, Miguel Cabrera, and Agustín Arrieta, many originating from historic educational institutions in Puebla (Lugares Turísticos en México 2021; Museo Amparo 2024), and its interior spaces, organized around multiple patios typical of colonial architecture, have been adapted into galleries and exhibition areas allow for both permanent and temporary exhibitions as well as cultural events (Lugares Turísticos en México 2021); as part of BUAP, the museum plays an important educational role by supporting research and interdisciplinary learning while also serving as a bridge between the university and the public, contributing to Puebla’s identity as a UNESCO World Heritage city. I love the eighteenth century art galleries as well as all of the antique machines, and some oddities (the shrunken heads!)
Always a pleasure to visit this wonderful museum.
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP). 2024. “Museo Universitario Casa de los Muñecos.” https://www.buap.mx/content/museo-universitario-casa-de-los-mu%C3%B1ecos . Accessed April 6, 2026.
Lugares Turísticos en México. 2021. “Museo Universitario Casa de los Muñecos.” https://www.lugaresturisticosenmexico.com/museo-universitario-casa-de-los-munecos-puebla/ . Accessed April 6, 2026.
México Escultura. 2024. “Museo Universitario Casa de los Muñecos.” https://www.mexicoescultura.com/recinto/67232/museo-universitario-casa-de-los-munecos.html . Accessed April 6, 2026.
Museo Amparo. 2024. “Museo Universitario Casa de los Muñecos BUAP.” https://museoamparo.com/descubre/Museos/6/museo-universitario-casa-de-los-munecos-buap . Accessed April 6, 2026.
Puebla City. 2023. “Casa de los Muñecos – House of the Dolls.” https://pueblacity.com/casa-de-los-munecos-house-of-the-dolls/ . Accessed April 6, 2026.
Programa Destinos México. 2021. “Museo Universitario Casa de los Muñecos.” https://programadestinosmexico.com/museo-universitario-casa-de-los-munecos-puebla/ . Accessed April 6, 2026.
Wikipedia. 2024. “Casa de los Muñecos.” https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_de_los_mu%C3%B1ecos . Accessed April 6, 2026.
Museo BUAP. n.d. “Historia de la Casa de los Muñecos.” https://museo.buap.mx/?q=content/historia . Accessed April 6, 2026.
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