All about Gran Museo del Mundo Maya in Mérida, Mexico

The Mayan World Museum "El Gran Museo del Mundo Maya de Mérida" in the north of Mérida exhibits a magnificent collection of more than 1,160 pieces.

That allows you to enjoy various objects and belongings that reflect the current daily life of the Maya as well as artistic and religious works from the colonial era and collections from pre-Hispanic times.

On display are for example engravings, books and historical documents, as well as artistic and religious works from the colonial era.

Collections from pre-Hispanic times include stelae, bas-reliefs, stone sculptures, ceramic vessels, trousseau and offerings, as well as ornaments and sumptuary objects of gold, jade and shell.

All this forms a framework where the past and the present are combined through new technologies and digital systems to allow the visitor to travel in time and return to the present.

The exhibition begins with the current Mayan culture. In four main sections (Mayan nature and culture, the Maya of today, the Maya of yesterday and the Maya of the ancestors), you dive into the past of this millennia-old culture.

Even though the rooms are spacious, we would have liked to see more exhibits on display, especially in the area of ancient Mayan art. There is also some room for improvement in the descriptions of the exhibits. But that is criticism on a high level.

The world of archaeology

Some interesting figures about Mayan archaeological sites on the Yucatan Peninsula:

A few tips

It is important to know that locals enjoy free admission on Sundays, so it is more crowded. Therefore, we recommend a visit during the week. And you shouldn't be fooled by the impressive size of the building. The museum occupies only one floor.

There is some signage in English throughout the museum but if you’d like to have a full tour, the Mayan World Museum offers various regular guided tours and workshops. There are museum tours that take place every Saturday and every Sunday at 11:00 am (in English) and 12:00 pm (in Spanish).

For children, there are free activities in the reading room every Saturday at 10:00 am. Every Saturday and Sunday at 11 am, children can participate in educational workshops in the museum. And at night there is a free light and sound show on a wall in the outdoor area.

If you'd rather stay downtown, as an alternative to the Grand Maya World Museum, the Museo Regional de Antropología at Palacio Cantón also houses a smaller number of Mayan artifacts.

How to get to the museum?

The museum is located directly on highway 261 (on the left-hand side when coming from the city center). The easiest way to visit the museum is by car (on your own or with a taxi or for example Uber).

If you come by car, you can park comfortably in the building's underground parking garage. The parking fee is only around 20 pesos for three hours.