This is an extraordinary place founded by Franciscan friars in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

It was a training center for missionaries who traveled to evangelize the provinces of northern New Spain, known as the College of Propaganda Fide of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Zacatecas. 

Its facade showcases a clear Baroque style, carved in quarry stone with a variety of forms. The entrance features a double Moorish arch and a beautiful Gothic rose window. Its large dome and unfinished towers are notable.

The entrance door has a polygonal arch flanked by columns, with sculptures of Saint Francis and Saint Dominic.

It is considered one of the best and oldest museums in the country, due to its beautiful building and its extraordinary collection of paintings from the 16th to the 18th centuries, representing the most important colonial painting collection in Mexico. 

In reality, it consists of two museums: one houses colonial artworks, while the other displays historical evidence of the expansion of New Spain in what is now northern Mexico.

The museum has preserved the original appearance of the convent and features twenty permanent exhibition halls spread across two sections. The historical aspect is located in the spaces that were inhabited by the friars, such as the oratory, cells, cloister, choir, etc. The Pinacoteca covers all the walls, resembling a gallery, with over fifty large-format works.

The upper and lower cloisters are covered with paintings depicting the Passion of Christ and the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, respectively. The main staircase showcases monumental paintings by Miguel Cabrera and Juan José Ríos Arnáez, and from its highest landing, one can admire one of the most beautiful representations of Saint Christopher, painted by Nicolás Rodríguez Juárez. 

The museum's collection includes works by renowned colonial painters such as Miguel Cabrera, Juan Correa, Cristóbal de Villalpando, Luis Juárez, José de Ibarra, Gabriel José de Ovalle, Nicolás Rodríguez Juárez, and Antonio de Torres, among others. 

The other museum, or the part corresponding to the historical archive, is located in the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro room, where a collection of antique vehicles is exhibited, describing the history of transportation in Mexico. 

The exhibition references the route that was established for the settlement of northern Mexico, extending over 2,500 km north of the national territory, founding different towns and creating a unique culture that has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Within the exhibition, you can find a wooden mezquite cart used for mineral transportation, elegant carriages, a tram used by Porfirio Díaz as his personal transport, a Packard limousine, and a convertible Cadillac.  reconocida por UNESCO como Patrimonio de la Humanidad. Dentro de la exhibición se puede encontrar: una carreta de madera de mezquite que se utilizaba para el transporte de mineral, elegantes carrozas, un tranvía utilizado por Porfirio Díaz como su transporte personal, una Limosina Packard y un Cadillac convertible.

Each year, the museum hosts the traditional Baroque Festival of Guadalupe, featuring concerts, theatrical visits, conferences, workshops, and gastronomy.

The ExpresArte room was recently inaugurated, dedicated to the cultural development of children and youth, aiming to bring them closer to Baroque art.

The museum has a bookstore, gift shop, reading room, and resting area.