The Archivo Judicial (as it is called for short) is located behind the INAH Puebla regional museum near “Los Fuertes.” The map below shows the INAH Puebla building, since the Archivo Judicial is not listed on google maps. Once you get to INAH Puebla ask someone for the archive, it is actually the same building.

Consultation Hours:

10AM-2PM, M-Th

How to get there:

• Cab or Uber: Taking a taxi the first time you visit might not be a bad idea, since it is kind of a difficult place to find. Tell them you want to go to the INAH Puebla museum en “los fuertes” near the Auditorio de la Reforma.
• Bus: From the centro you are going to want to get to Blvd Heroes del 5 de Mayo and 14 Ote and take route number 72. Ask the driver to drop you off at the Ignacio Zaragoza monument (pictures below). From here you will have to walk up a hill using INAH Puebla as your reference point when asking individuals for directions.

What you will need to Register:

The application process typically takes a day or two, thus, do not expect to consult materials the day of.

• A letter of introduction (typically from your adviser)
• A photocopy of your passport (if you are not a Mexican national)
• Your actual passport
• You will be interviewed by the director of the historical archive

What You Need to Consult Documents:

• Archival research kit (this archive is very picky about you using white cotton gloves and a spatula, latex, gortex, and nitrile gloves are not allowed)

Consultation/ Image Reproduction

• Transcribing
  • You can either type your transcriptions on a laptop, or write them down on loose pieces of paper. This is the go-to method at the Archivo Judicial.
• Photography
  • The staff will tell you that photography is not allowed. If you probe further they will say that it is allowed but you have to pay a flat fee for a day of photography which costs a couple thousand pesos. If you have five camera batteries, a couple thousand pesos to spend, and an iron back, inquire about paying.

Where to eat:

• Unfortunately there isn’t much here for investigators or the archivists. Most people bring lunch, or head to the center once the archive closes (at 2PM).
• There is a restaurant at the bottom of the hill in front of the Zaragoza monument, but it is pricey and not reasonable for every day food.
• I personally left at 2, caught the 72 route back to the center and ate at El Viejo Rosario on 8 ote and 5 de Mayo (on the map below). The food is affordable, and very good. Not to mention the unforgetable fresh liquados and jugos they offer.

Tips:

• Check out the INAH Puebla muesum. They have an eclectic collection of military equipment, indigenous art, and visiting collections.
• Make sure to go down to the Zaragoza monument and enjoy the majesty of the behemoth monument.
• Take a walk through the woods on the hill (that is if you only take cabs, otherwise you will walk through it).