In the historic center of Guadalajara there is a lot to do, but definitely a symbol place of the city is the  Degollado Theater and behind it, it is an esplanade that fits it beautifully, the Plaza de los Fundadores.

In mid-nineteenth century some members of the Tapatia society saw the need to have a decent theater and asked permission to the then governor, Santos Degollado, to build it. It was built gradually in the Plazade San Agustin and they had very few resources so they used parts of other buildings, including a convent.
The first stone was laid on March 5, 1856. But the story of the compound was as turbulent as life itself of Mexico at that time. Still in  construction it was named as "Gran Teatro Alarcon" (in memory of Juan Ruiz de Alarcon, Mexican writer). Shortly afterwards, Santos Degollado perished on the battlefield during the War of Reform so, the theater took its name to honor his memory. The work was stopped and was taken up several times, it changed the name on another occasion, but returned to "Degollado."

On September 13, 1866 was inaugurated (unfinished in its entirety) with the opera "Lucia di Lammermoor" by Gaetano Donizetti, with Angela Peralta as a leading figure.
After this major event the work was  abandoned and was finally taken up and completed in 1877.
Between adventures and misadventures, the building stands today as an icon of the city. It had five inaugurations, the most recently on September 8, 1964.
Its portico has 16 columns of Corinthian  style, its living room measure 20 meters long and 18 wide and has a capacity of 1600 spectators. The oval lobby  measure 10 meters long and the building of neoclassical style, has a height of 22.5 meters. At present, it is the seat of the Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra, besides various cultural events.
On its vault you can appreciate fresh from the artists Gerardo Suarez and Jacobo Galvez.
Of course, the legends also around this magnificent building. It is said that it was under a curse for having been built with stones from a convent and that the day when "the golden eagle that crowns the center of the great arch of the forum loose the chains that holds between claws and beak, the theater will collapse. "

It is located on Belen Street in the Historic Center.

Just behind the theatre is the Plaza de los Fundadores. Formerly in this Plaza was installed a tianguis(market) for several days and people gathered to buy and sell goods of various kinds.
Nowadays you can appreciate a fountain that points out the place where the city was founded and a sculptural set of high relief in bronze  of 21 meters long and 3 high, work of Rafael Zamarripa, which commemorates the final establishment of Guadalajara in the  Valle de Atemajac and its founders. Among the personalities who are honoured in the plaza are: Cristobal de Oñate, Miguel de Ibarra and Beatriz Hernandez, and also has a plaque where you can read the history of Guadalajara and the names of the parents of the city.