Originally meant to be a legislative chamber, construction of the Monumento a la Revolución was interrupted by the Revolution, and there was talk of demolishing the building, but instead it was modified and given a new role. Unveiled in 1938, it contains the tombs of the revolutionary and post-revolutionary heroes Pancho Villa, Francisco Madero, Venustiano Carranza, Plutarco Elías Calles and Lázaro Cárdenas.
Both the monument and Plaza de la República on which it stands got a major makeover in 2010 to commemorate Mexico’s centennial anniversary of the Revolution. Kids love frolicking in the plaza's geyser-like fountains, while at night the monument's renovated architectural features are highlighted by colorful lights.
The star attraction of the monument is the 65m-high observation deck , accessed by a glass elevator. The vertigo-inducing lift opens to a spiraling staircase that ascends to a wide terrace with a panoramic view of the city.
Underlying the plaza and monument, the recently spruced-up Museo Nacional de la Revolución covers a 63-year period, from the implementation of the constitution guaranteeing human rights in 1857 to the installation of the post-revolutionary government in 1920. Explanatory text remains untranslated.
The monument also has an interesting basement art gallery, the Paseo Cimentación , where you can check out temporary art exhibitions amid a labyrinth of gigantic steel beams that serve as the structure's foundation.
