Alhóndiga de Granaditas

The site of the first major rebel victory in Mexico's War of Independence, Alhóndiga de Granaditas is now a history and art museum. Originally a massive grain-and-seed storehouse built between 1798 and 1808, the Alhóndiga became a fortress for Spanish troops and loyalist leaders in 1810. They barricaded themselves inside when 20,000 rebels led by Miguel Hidalgo attempted to take Guanajuato.

Just when it looked as though the outnumbered Spaniards would hold out, a young miner named Juan José de los Reyes Martínez (aka El Pípila), under orders from Hidalgo, tied a stone slab to his back and, protected from Spanish bullets, set the gates ablaze. The Spaniards choked on smoke and the rebels moved in to take the Alhóndiga, killing most of those inside. El Pípila probably perished in the battle, but some versions of the story have it that he lived to a ripe old age.

From 1864 the Alhóndiga was used as a prison for a century, before becoming a museum in 1967. There's also a fine art gallery. Don't miss Chávez Morado's dramatic murals of Guanajuato's history on the staircases.