The Frontón México building and its history

The obsession that built it. By the middle of the 19th century, sports fans in Mexico City had found a compelling obsession: Basque pelota. Games were played in several open-air venues, and as the enthusiasm grew, proper buildings went up —the Eder Jai, the Frontón Nacional, the Frontón Hispano Mexicano and the Euzkalduna. Regulation eventually closed them one by one. Only one survived in the city's memory: the Frontón México.

The building. It stands on Plaza de la República, facing the Monument to the Revolution, an Art Deco landmark from the 1920s that was for decades the place where the city bet on jai alai. It closed in the 1990s, stood empty for years and was later refurbished for events and gaming, so what you see from outside is the original volume with a restored interior.

Visiting. The façade and its setting on the plaza are the point for most visitors; access inside depends on what is programmed. The address is De la República 17, colonia Tabacalera, and Revolución station on metro Line 2 comes out at the plaza.