Museo Casa Chihuahua

The Museo Casa Chihuahua, once known as the Federal Palace of Chihuahua, is an early 20th-century building in the city centre of Chihuahua.  It served as the federal building for the city until 2004, when it was renovated as a city museum, specialising in travelling exhibits. It also houses, in the basement, the jail cell of Fr Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, considered the Father of the Nation. Fr Hidalgo was the first leader of the insurgency for independence from Spain. The museum is divided mainly into three areas: • Museo de Sitio (Site Museum): This contains three rooms and is located in the basement of the building. It describes the history of the current building and the functions of its predecessors, from the time of the college through the branch mint to the present museum. In this area is preserved Fr Hidalgos prison cell, and a videotape showing a re-creation of his last months of life is shown. • Area de Exposiciones Temporales (Temporary Exhibit Area): This area, located on the first floor and the basement, is allocated to exhibits which change approximately every three months; it has had exhibits dedicated to glass (from the Museum of Glass at Monterrey, Mexico), the history of Avalos (a former mining town on the outskirts of the city, now part of Chihuahua) and the Bank of Mexico's history of national currency and coinage, dating from the beginnings of New Spain to the present. A recent exhibit was dedicated to the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and included relics and personal effects of the beloved nun. • Museo Patrimonial del Estado de Chihuahua (Chihuahua State Citizens Museum): Intended to inform residents about the attractions of the State of Chihuahua through images, videos and sounds, it is located in the upper floor and is divided into three zones: desierto (desert), llanura (plains) and sierra (mountains).