It was inaugurated in October 1978, under its initial name of "Centro Cultural Alfa" translating to Alfa Cultural Center. At its inauguration the then Secretary of Education,
Fernando Solana Morales, and the then president of the
ALFA Group Bernardo Garza Sada were present. It was a revolutionary museum, in many ways, for Mexico and
Latin America. For example, its Mega Screen
IMAX Dome was the first to begin operating outside the United States in the continent.
Additions • In 1986 the
Aviary was opened, being the first of its type in the whole country. It was composed of 25 different species, with over 200 specimens. • In 1988 the "Pabellón El Universo" was opened, it had a stained glass monument called "El Universo" (English: The Universe), made by
Rufino Tamayo. Though in 2017 this area would get burned, and the building was demolished a year later. With the stained glass being transferred to the Alfa offices. • In 1994 the science garden was opened. With the objective of kids interacting and playing with the various games, where they would learn the various physics phenomena. It also had 14 exact replicas of prehispanic monuments. • In 1998 a public
observatory was opened, it was considered the biggest public observatory of all of Mexico. It also had an Auditorium, which was used for conferences and events. == Architecture ==