#MacabroTurístico: The Cine Ópera

The Cine Ópera was one of the grandest cinemas in Mexico City, from its opening in 1949 during the golden age of Mexican cinema until its closure in 1998 and subsequent abandonment.

Located in the Colonia San Rafael neighborhood of Mexico City, an area that was once full of grand cinemas and theaters but fell on hard times, to the point of being classified as a red-light district. After its decline in the 1980s, the Cine Ópera was occasionally used as a concert venue, including memorable shows by Bauhaus and Human Drama. It was completely closed in 1998. Although the neighborhood where it is located is undergoing a revival, the cinema remains abandoned and deteriorating.

In 2011, the cinema became a property protected by INBA with the aim of restoring it and turning it into a cultural center; however, the building remains closed. From the outside, you can admire its art deco façade, which, despite the deterioration caused by the passage of time and lack of maintenance, still shows the building's grandeur.

Information courtesy of Atlas Obscura. You can read the original text in English here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cine-opera