Plaza Juárez (Juárez Square), Guadalajara

The Juárez Square is a dignified civic square dedicated to Benito Pablo Juárez, one of Mexico’s most revered presidents. Commissioned during the centennial of the Reforma Laws in 1960 and designed by architect Julio de la Peña, it officially opened in January 1961 on the former grounds of the city’s railway station. The plaza’s layout begins with a welcoming entrance featuring an elliptical fountain, benches, and green gardens, leading to an open central esplanade that invites quiet repose or civic activity.

At the core of the square stands a bronze statue of Juárez atop a tall Finnish granite pedestal. Behind it towers a 33-meter-tall obelisk faced in white cantera stone, embossed with the national coat of arms and flanked by sculpted bronze eagles representing the republic. Further accentuating its patriotic symbolism is a semicircle of 21 flagpoles displaying American republics’ banners and a bronze relief commemorating heroes of the Reform War by artist José Chávez Morado.

Moreover, Plaza Juárez thrives as a cultural and communal venue. It routinely hosts civic ceremonies, cultural festivals, weekend street markets, and occasional concerts. Thoughtful renovations have refreshed pathways, lighting, seating areas, and landscaping.