The Museo del Alfeñique tells the story of the sugar sculpture tradition for which Toluca is best known across Mexico. Alfeñique is a sugar paste of Spanish-Moorish origin, brought to Mexico in the colonial period and used to make the small, brightly painted skulls and figures that crowd Day of the Dead altars.
The museum, in a 19th-century townhouse, displays historic moulds, finished pieces, and dioramas of the production process. Most visitors find it pairs well with a stroll through the annual Feria del Alfeñique at the Portales in October, when several hundred vendors set up stalls selling skulls inscribed with the buyer's name.