It is located in front of the Plaza de la Constitución and serves as the official residence of the Government of the Republic.  

The building was constructed in 1529 on the ruins of what was once Moctezuma's Palace. It was destroyed by fire in 1692 and has undergone several renovations since then. 

In September 1896, during Porfirio Díaz's government, the bell from the Church of Dolores was installed on the central balcony of the building, in the same spot where a clock and a bell without a clapper had been located during the colonial period. In 1927, Plutarco Elías Calles ordered the addition of another floor, giving the building its current appearance. 

The predominant style is Baroque, with a facade made of gray quarry stone and red tezontle. The palace has three entrances: the Mariana Door, named after President Mariano Arista who ordered its construction; the Central Door, where the Bell of Dolores is placed; and the door located on the south side of the building, known as the Honor Door, used as the entrance for the President.

Both the central staircase and the mezzanine are adorned with some of Diego Rivera's most important murals. Additionally, there is a space inside the palace that honors the memory of Benito Juárez.