Many visitors to the captivating crafts hub of Tlaquepaque are unaware that just a few blocks from the iconic Parián restaurant zone sits a former community hospital that has served as a vital cultural center for nearly four decades.
One wing of this expansive 19th-century building houses the sprawling Centro Cultural El Refugio, transformed from former hospital rooms into intimate gallery and exhibit spaces, interspersed with quaint gardens. Today, it hosts rotating exhibitions, concerts, seminars and even major artisan events, such as the annual Exposición Nacional de Artesanías (ENART) and Expo TlaquepArte.
The other half of the building is home to the Pantaleón Panduro Museum, a ceramic arts haven often overshadowed by the (actually much smaller) Museo Regional de la Cerámica, located on Tlaquepaque’s main pedestrian thoroughfare.
While most visitors are drawn to Tlaquepaque for its vibrant arts and crafts scene—especially traditional pottery, glasswork and handwoven textiles—those who spend even an hour in the Pantaleón Panduro Museum will leave with a deepened appreciation for the richness of Mexican ceramics.
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