Parque del Mestizaje: Gustavo A. Madero Park

Gustavo A. Madero Park, also known as the Park of Mestizaje, is one of the most significant public spaces in northern Mexico City. It is best known as the home of the monumental Indios Verdes statues, two towering figures representing Mexica leaders from ancient Mexico-Tenochtitlán. Long overlooked, they continue to stand as powerful reminders of a historical legacy still seeking recognition.

The park is one of the finest in the area: spacious, lively, and filled with green spaces, public areas, and numerous pieces of public art.

The park’s name traces back to 20th-century ideas promoted by former Secretary of Public Education José Vasconcelos, who championed the concept of “mestizaje” as part of a nationalist cultural project. Although many of these ideas have since been reevaluated, the park —opened in 1978— retained its name even as the notion lost prominence. For this reason, it is often referred to simply as Gustavo A. Madero Park, the largest urban park in the borough.
For more than 200 years, this location served as the endpoint of the historic Guadalupe Aqueduct, whose remaining arches and fountain remain visual highlights. During the park’s inauguration, Spain’s King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía joined Mexican president José López Portillo to unveil a statue of Don Quixote —a symbolic gesture whose historical irony went largely unnoticed.
The park features multiple artistic landmarks, including the bronze-filled Los Danzantes fountain and the Monument to the Homeland, depicting an Indigenous man and a conquistador supporting an allegorical female representation of the nation. A small on-site museum occasionally displays work by local artists.

Located in the Rosas del Tepeyac neighborhood, the park sits between the Basilica of Guadalupe to the east and the Indios Verdes Metro and Metrobús stations to the north along Avenida Insurgentes Norte. It serves as a central gathering and transit point for residents and visitors alike.