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 The pride of being an Historical Heritage for the Nation:The preservation of the legacy of Mazatlan constitutes an important aspect of the essence that nourishes the identity and singularity of the port town. Being aware of this, in March of 2001 the presidency of the nation declared that Old Town Mazatlan was forming part of the Zones of Historical Monuments. This decree specifies an area of 180 blocks that contain “479 buildings of historic value that were constructed during the 19th and early 20th centuries that combine diverse architectural characteristics with regional and academic ones.” The decree points out that Old Mazatlan “conserves the original husk and urban tracings from the 19th century which was the base for subsequent growth later on” and further states that “the degree of conservation places it among the most important ports of the country.”
The Historic Center, aka Old Mazatlan, as a Tourist Attraction
 Mazatlan is different than other Mexican tourist destinations that compete with it in various aspects. One of the differences is Old Town or the Historic center, as it is sometimes called. The passing of the years has only enhanced its historic, architectural and cultural value. It lends a unique charm to the town of Mazatlan.
 The locals love downtown and eagerly show it off to visitors, who also fall in love with it, fascinated by its charm. It is a showcase of historical and architectural jewels and it emits a wonderful peace and tranquility that is noticeable from the moment one arrives. One can really feel it when he is at one of the numerous bars and cafes and restaurants that exist in the area.
 Currently, Old Town is one of the foremost attractions that Mazatlan features. It seems as if time has frozen. Its beautiful, nostalgic streets make the spirit fall in love and recall romance and sensuality and the old legends and stories somehow intertwine with the present and the past seems to loom larger as an influencing presence.
Mazatlan was built by visionaries of various nationalities such as North Americans, French, English, Italians, Asians, but above all, the Germans and the Spanish.
 The richness of the nearby mining villages and the outbreak of Gold Fever in California combined to make Mazatlán into a port of great importance that lived from commerce and at one time had businesses such as a smelting pit for iron and others, as well as a brewery. The Pacifico beer brewery still is huge and one of the biggest in the country.
A Magical Stroll through Old Mazatlan
The old times were better times, as the saying goes. You can disagree with this, but everyone seems to think that times were more exciting and better than the present. Such as it is, we will leave that for you to decide. But we do recommend a stroll through Old Mazatlan:
 Angela Peralta Theater: Who was going to imagine that the inauguration of the old Rubio Theater, which is today the Angela Peralta, was going to take place on Valentines Day, 1874? It was officially inaugurated on February 6, 1881, when it was totally finished. Starting from that date, the theater enjoyed an era of splendor which culminated with the frustrated presentation of the famous singer, Angela Peralta. She never actually took the stage because she died of yellow fever on August 30, 1883. We can say that maybe this was the day that the theater began its decline since by 1925 it was used for such low brow events as boxing and carnival dances. It even was used as a movie theater for a while and by 1943 was called the Angela Peralta Theater. In the 1960s it was all but abandoned and in 1985 city hall had decided to raze it. Fortunately this never happened thanks to a group of notable Mazatlecans who set about rescuing it and by 1987 they had given it a new life by presenting a concert in the ruins of the building. In 1992 the theater was re-inaugurated and ever since then the beautiful place has bee the site of many important artistic and cultural events. Some of these are the Jose Limon International Dance Festival, the Sinaloa Arts Festival and the Mazatlan Cultural Festival. From October until Christmas each year the calendar of events at the Angela Peralta is booked solid, and all thru the year you can enjoy various events here. The building itself is most impressive and one should not miss it.
www.teatroangelaperalta.com
 The Municipal Arts Center: Hundreds of Mazatlecans and foreigners have made careers of the different disciplines offered at this center. Classes of painting, sculpture, literature, different types of dance, theater and music are some of the classes imparted here. The Municipal Arts Center has helped many adults and children incorporate art into their daily lives. If you have artistic ambition, why not enroll in the school? Who knows, you may be one of the artists at the Angela Peralta very soon.
www.teatroangelaperalta.com
 Archeological Museum: Located in the old historic center, it offers visitors the opportunity to admire the impressive collection of archeological relics found in southern Sinaloa that are over 500 years old. It features exposition halls that are the site of different artistic activities. If you are interested in regional history and art, this is the place for you. There is a special library on the region. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Visit it and let us know what you think!
 Art Museum: this is the place where you will find great works by national and international artists. There is also a library and a cafeteria. It is located in front of the Archeological Museum on Sixto Osuna Street.
 Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception: This beautiful church is located in the middle of the old city and is protected and surrounded by city hall, the post office, the main plaza and a healthy commercial area. Construction of the cathedral was begun in 1875 and finished in 1899 and consecrated in 1937 in honor of the Virgin Mary. It is considered to be the most beautiful in northwest Mexico. Its vestibule is impressive and here you can see three monumental representations, two of Christ the King and one of the recently canonized Mexican Indian, Juan Diego showing to Bishop Juan Zumarraga the cloak with the miraculous apparition of our lady of Guadalupe, affectionately called “the brown skinned virgin” by the faithful. The church has a marked Gothic influence. On the outside there are two slim towers and the inside features three naves, each one crowned by altars. It is adorned in a Baroque style, with lush tendencies that make it a true mosaic of styles. The is an enormous central candelabra and other smaller lateral ones that are of fine cut French crystal that were installed in 1950. However the true jewel of the cathedral is its extraordinary organ that was built in France by Aristides Cavaillie (1811 to 1899). It is believed that this instrument was first played on May 17, 1899. Visit our cathedral. Donations are accepted to continue the preservation and remodeling of the church.
Revolution Plaza (the Plaza of Arms): This pleasant place is located directly in front of city hall and the cathedral. It has lots of garden and one of the prettiest and oldest kiosks in all of Mexico. It is a preferred place of Mazatlecans and a constant site of civic and cultural events. It is also frequented by many senior citizens. Is this why many locals call this plaza “the Cemetery”?
Post Office: This building is located on the east side of the Plaza and is very well preserved.
Pino Suarez Municipal Market: This is undoubtedly one of the jewels of Mazatlan. It is located smack in the middle of downtown and is an important part of Old Mazatlan. It was inaugurated on May 5, 1899. The then governor of Sinaloa, Francisco Cañedo, attended the ceremony, but the whole plan was delayed because of discord among the shop owners who blocked the doors from opening. A year later, on May 5, 1900, it opened and Mazatlan finally had its market. History chronicles show that at the end of the 19th century Mazatlan could brag about being one of the municipalities with the most affluent economic bonanza.
Back then, Mazatlan’s city hall was the richest in the country and so the authorities of that era decided to go ahead and construct the modern market. It was constructed in the French style that was so pervasive in that time due to the preference of Porfirio Diaz, long time Mexican president of the 19th century. Those were peaceful times. The elite families of Mazatlan back then even thought that President Diaz himself had come to regard Mazatlan with a special attention, but it wasn’t like that. The background of the market place was that there were three places called “baratillos”, places of great variety of selection where things were sold cheaply, including slaughtered animals and meat. The first place was located where Plaza Zaragoza is now located and the actual public market was located near the Temple of San Jose, where Plaza de Leones is today. As time went by, Mazatlan grew and a new “baratillo” was built in what is today the main zocolo. All three places were a commercial mess and smelled horribly.
So on the first of July, 1895, members of the city hall presented an initiative to the mayor to construct a new, hygienic, big, comfortable, safe, well ventilated market place. After reviewing each one of the “baratillos”, it was decided that the building would be built where the old Plaza of Carnival Bulls once stood. The planes and budget of the project were presented to the mayor on March 2, 1896 by the firm Loubet and Company. It was going to cost about 11,000 dollars. Mr. Alejandro Loubet, head of the Sinaloa Foundation, designed and built the new municipal market.
The new market would be an Art Nouveau edifice built of iron and steel and that used the same basic construction techniques as the Eiffel Tower, which opened seven years earlier. The market would represent the progress and cultural refinement of the era and, according to the builder, would mark in history the fact that Mazatlan had taken its first energetic steps towards being a true commercial and industrial center in the country. In its construction were left the footprints of the gaudy past. The market was a colossal of iron, but, unlike the original project, the finishing showed that Mazatlan was no longer what it had been. Many architectural details were eliminated for economic reasons and the market was left without marble or stained glass.
The materials used in the construction of the new municipal market were:
290,000 pounds of smelted iron
230,000 pounds of “T”, “U” and “angled” steel beams
56,000 pounds of reinforced iron
100,000 pounds of laminated iron to anchor the roof
584 cubic meters of masonry
The roof, divided into 2 naves, rests on 29 iron columns at a height of 30 feet
The new market was named after Manuel Romero Rubio, in honor of the then Minister of Government and father-in-law of Porfirio Diaz. It was inaugurated on May 5, 1899 by then governor Francisco Cañedo. It was a watershed for local commerce. There were counters of marble brought in from the USA; the bakers all had glass display cases and pantries with sliding doors. There was no longer the disgusting handling of food items that the people had shamefully tolerated for so long.
The new market, or “Palace of Iron”, as it was called, changed everything. City hall issued an edict to the businesses that a medical certificate had to be granted every few months showing that they didn’t suffer from a contagious disease. They also had to clean up properly and practice good hygiene as well as refrain from using inappropriate language or shouting in public or showing lack respect toward their clients.
After the first five years had passed, the first real problems presented themselves. The marble began to fall, the tables collapsed, garbage filled the aisles and the whole place looked dirty and greasy. The situation required the authorities to have volunteers clean up and fix the place. Six years later, the Mexican Revolution impacted the market.
 Streets and Allies: Another charm of Old Mazatlan is the streets. They stamp the city with a charm that is very Mexican, very warm, very colonial and very Mazatlecan. These streets are definitely the best way to glimpse into the historical past and get to know the soul of the city. Lose yourself in them, see families and people appear from the past, fall in love with an old building, photograph yourself, and hug your loved ones. Walking these streets is synonymous with nostalgia and living in another era. It is ideal for appreciating the magnificent constructions that run from Neo-Classical to Baroque that are so regal, charming and spectacular.
 Old Mazatlán and Culture: Cultural events are carried on all year long in downtown Old Mazatlan, particularly in the Angela Peralta Theater. Visitors to Mazatlan can be sure that at any time of the year they will be able to enjoy a superb show. We recommend that you consult our cultural calendar or get a schedule of events for the Angela Peralta Theater and the Municipal Arts Center.
 Old Mazatlan during Carnival: The Carnival events each year-they vary, but always in February or March-are centered in the Plaza Machado and Olas Altas areas of downtown Old Mazatlan. Machado Plaza has long been a special place for locals and for visitors, but in Carnival it becomes the center of an exquisite collection of food. The best restaurants in Mazatlan all contribute to the spectacular dining feat. The plaza also is filled with merriment and music and lots of young people having fun until they are no longer able. If you are here for Carnival, don’t miss this fun.
 Old Mazatlan at Night: Nights in Old Mazatlan are sensual, romantic and lots of fun. You will always have a good time. If you want romance, it is an ideal place to meet people or be romantic with your significant other. The old houses and buildings and streets are perfect for letting loose with a little magic and the cafes and bars that abound are the perfect setting to capture the love that floats in the atmosphere.
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