Bygone Places in Mexico City / El Tívoli del Eliseo: 6,000 Square Meters of Garden for Porfirian Aristocracy
A vast garden, entertainment and performance center, and convention space for the elite, located in Colonia Tabacalera, which vanished in the 1930s.
By Alejandro Pohlenz
Want to attend a mega-party with Mexico City’s crème de la crème in an enormous venue with banquet halls, ballrooms, restaurants, roller-skating rinks, gardens, gazebos, and even waterfalls? All you needed was a connection with Porfirio Díaz’s inner circle and a special invitation to El Tívoli del Eliseo, located in Colonia Tabacalera, at the corner of Puente de Alvarado and Avenida Insurgentes.
Tivolis in Mexico City
In Roman times, tivolis were popular vacation spots for the patricians—the high society of the day. Fascinatingly, Mexico City had several tivolis for the leisure of the wealthiest citizens (no wonder the Mexican Revolution broke out in 1910). Among the most notable were El Petit Versalles (very French-inspired), El Ferrocarril, San Cosme, and the one we’re focusing on: El Tívoli del Eliseo.
The most illustrious celebrations at this elite amusement park commemorated the Battle of Covadonga and the French Revolution (July 14), sponsored by the Spanish and French embassies, with the illustrious Don Porfirio himself in attendance.
The Anti-Reelectionist Convention
Historically, El Tívoli del Eliseo played a key role: on April 15, 1910, it hosted the convention of the National Anti-Reelectionist Party, where it was decided that Francisco I. Madero would challenge Díaz in the presidential elections (Madero eventually won the first relatively fair elections in Mexico).
Curiously, El Tívoli del Eliseo survived until 1936, through the Revolution and cannon fire, before finally being demolished.
Status: Gone forever
