Campo Marte
Domicilio conocido S/N, Polanco, Chapultepec, 11560 Ciudad de México
5552767060
http://www.sedena.gob.mx/
Right next to the Auditorio Nacional, in the first section of the Chapultepec Park, is the Campo Marte, a property of the Secretariat of National Defense that is used for military, government, and equestrian events; it hosted the equestrian competitions during the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games and hosted the Polo World Championship in 2008. Being a military venue, the Campo Marte was overseen by the guards of the Presidential General Staff, that is until the latest incoming president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) disbanded the guard in 2018, and Campo Marte is now run by the general military staff. Its main access is located on the Paseo de la Reforma Avenue a few steps away from Metro station “Auditorio” from Línea 7.
Next to the main entrance, there is a sculpture of general Joaquín Amaro, who was a member of the Mexican military during the Revolution and was later the Secretary of War and the Navy from 1924 to 1929, he’s also remembered as the founder of the Superior School of War in Mexico City, which led to the professionalization of the Mexican military and the addition of military officers who were well studied and prepared in war strategies.
The location isn’t very touristy, even though it has a casino inside that’s quite a swanky location for your typical family-friendly events like birthdays and graduations. The Campo Marte Casino, more specifically, specializes in planning social, governmental, and corporate events. It has eight halls with different capacities and different themes that adjust to every need; the place also offers banquet, organization, and safety services.
Inside the Campo Marte is also one of those monumental Mexican flags that measures 50 X 28 meters and which is flown from a flagpole that’s 100 meters high, and right next to it a memorial was constructed in 2012 called the Memorial a las Víctimas de la Violencia en México (Memorial to the Victims of Violence in Mexico), in remembrance of the victims of the war that Mexico has waged against drug trafficking.
The sculpture garden at Campo Marte is a truly marvelous exposition, it’s made up of 32 sculptures made from disabled firearms, with each sculpture representing a Mexican state, and also, access is free. Campo Marte might not be the go-to location for tourists in Mexico City, but it does have its selection of interesting things to see and new things to learn.
