All about Museo Meteorito in Progreso, Mexico

Museo del Meteorito de Progreso Yucatán (Meteorite Museum of Progreso) opened on September 30th, 2022. It is located directly on the beach promenade Malecón de Progreso, about seven blocks east of the pier.

The modern and huge building was newly constructed for the purpose and the architecture both on the outside and inside is very impressive.

The Meteorite Museum in Progreso offers a journey through 14 billion years of history, focusing on an event that changed the history of the Earth 66 million years ago - the impact of the Chicxulab meteorite.

75% of the plant and animal species became extinct on Earth at that time. The extinction of the dinosaurs can also be traced back to this.

Museum Exhibition

The exhibition begins with the Big Bang 66 million years ago and continues in the meteorite room. In the so-called "Time Tunnel", the transition from the first years of the Earth to the age of the dinosaurs is shown.

In the "Walk with Dinosaurs" room, six screens tell about the life of the dinosaurs. Another room shows the impact of the meteorite as a projection.

Fossils are also shown and, above all, mechatronically controlled dinosaurs that give a realistic impression of what these animals might have looked like.

You will find the most popular dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus, Spinosaurus, Dilophosaurus, Triceraptor and Triceratops. Interactivity is also possible via augmented reality and digital tablets.

On the Museo des Meteorites' Facebok page you can find lots of pictures and videos so that you can get a better first impression of the museum. The museum is also represented on Instagram.

Tickets

You buy the tickets directly on site. As usual in Mexico, the admission prices are staggered, and foreign adults pay the highest price (350 pesos).

Mexicans and children pay less and residents of Progreso and small children (up to the age of 4) pay no admission. There is no discount for students. Cash or card payment is accepted.

What you should know

The most important thing is probably to have the right expectations. The museum and the tour are designed for children. It's not a museum in the classic sense, but is more of a show with videos, light effects and mechanized dinosaurs.

As an adult, you will perhaps miss out on more in-depth scientific information. It is also important to know that the 30-minute guided tour is only in Spanish. Without a good knowledge of Spanish, it won't be fun.

What is also unusual is that you cannot move around the museum freely, only as part of a guided tour with groups of around 30 to 40 people. And due to the format of the guided tours, longer waiting times may occur at peak hours.

Whether a visit is worthwhile for you depends to a certain extent on your budget. To be honest, the prices are relatively high for what is on offer (especially for foreign adults).

A few tips

Not far from the museum, next to Progreso, is Chicxulub Puerto. There is also a great attraction for kids, the Sandero Jurásico Theme Park.

On the "Chicxulub Jurassic Trail" there are life-size dinosaurs (Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops and many others) that are also moved by motors and also make sounds. In contrast to the museum, however, this is all in the open air.

The Emerald Coast

Progreso is the most famous port city on the Emerald Coast. The Emerald Coast (Costa Esmeralda in Spanish) is an unofficial name for the the 98 km long coastal area in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula. The name comes from the emerald colored water.

Some interesting figures:

How do you get to Museo del Meteorito from Mérida?

Progreso is very easy to reach by car in half an hour from Mérida, the highway 261 leads there bolt upright. There is also a regular bus service from Mérida to Progreso via Auto Progreso that starts daily around 5:00 am.

The buses depart from the station in Mérida, located on Calle 62 between Calle 65 and 67. An AutoProgreso ticket cost just about 25 pesos each way. The museum is located on the beach promenade.