All about Parque La Plancha in Mérida, Mexico (2025 Guide)

Parque La Plancha brings back some really special memories for me. For years, I’d been meaning to check out Mérida’s long-abandoned former main train station. Officially, it was called a train museum – but really, it felt more like an overgrown forgotten spot.

Then came whispers of a big redevelopment, and in 2023 the whole place was fenced off with heavy machines moving in. That’s when the Parque La Plancha project began – and I never got to see the old train station.

But the rumors about a big new park being built actually made us start looking for a house in the area – and that’s how we ended up with what’s now Casa Loltún.

Today, Parque La Plancha is Mérida’s by far largest and most impressive park – an must-see while you’re in Mérida. The park is compared by some to no less than Central Park in New York. If you're in Mérida, make sure to check out this urban oasis.

A few figures to illustrate the dimensions:

👉 If you happen to be a railway enthusiast, make sure to read the full article – it features nearly all the locomotives and wagons on display in the park, each with its own description.

Things to Do & See

The park offers a wide range of facilities, here’s what you’ll find:

• Sports and recreation areas (including an outdoor gym)

• A large hall with 20 food counters and a bar ("Mercado Gastronómico")

• The Museo de los Ferrocarriles de Yucatán (Yucatan Railroad Museum)

• The Museo de La Luz (Museum of Light)

• A 13,000 sqm lake with a more than 700m long circular promenade

• A pet park with a parcour for dogs (with an area of almost 1,600 square meters)

• In total eight playgrounds for children

• A large skate park

• A sports field with a multi-purpose pitch, e.g. for soccer or volleyball

• An amphitheater for no less than 10,000 people

There are also jogging routes, a 2 km long leisure trail, bicycle paths, covered walkways, restrooms and parking possibilities for 300 cars. The park connects to the new restaurant row in Calle 47 (two blocks away), so Casa Loltún offers the perfect location in between.

Strolling by the artificial lake

The artificial lake has tall water fountains that light up in the evening, so you should definitely plan a walk on the 700m-long circular promenade after dark. Just a side note: The park stays well-lit into the night, and there’s security staff on-site.

Events at the amphitheater

The amphitheater at Parque La Plancha is a open-air venue designed to host concerts and cultural events. With space for around 10,000 spectators, it has quickly become one of Mérida’s most important stages for music and performance.

Mercado Gastronómico

The Mercado Gastronómico at Parque La Plancha is a spacious, covered food hall with 20 small independent stalls offering everything from tacos, burgers, and pizza to ramen, pastries, ice cream, and craft beer. There’s also a small central bar.

Open daily during park hours, the hall features around 120 four-seat tables plus several larger communal tables for groups of up to 20, providing space for roughly 600 guests.

It’s mostly self-service – you order at each stall and then find a seat. Mornings tend to be quiet, while around midday the atmosphere becomes much livelier.

A small point of criticism is that, with its vast size, high ceilings, and all the steel and concrete, the hall can feel a little bare and sterile, with only minimal decoration softening the look.

Family Fun in La Plancha Park

If you're visiting with children (and it’s not the scorching heat of midday), this is a great place for your whole family. There are no fewer than eight playgrounds to explore, a skate park, and a sports field perfect for soccer, volleyball, and more.

The playgrounds have a soft sand surface and are designed for children aged around two to twelve years. The play equipment is usually covered with tent-like canopies, providing shade.

The water area near the entrance (though likely not intended for play) has become a favorite spot for kids to cool off and splash around. The water only reaches knee height, making it perfect for small children.

Cool Spots for Teens

Our kids are teenagers and they always have a great time whenever we’re at the park. If you’re traveling with teens too, they should definitely check out the playground at the northern end of the park before heading across the street with those long hanging ropes.

This spot has a cool open-air fitness park designed for teens and adults, making it a fun and challenging place to get active. The open-air fitness area is located in the northern section of the park, near the skatepark and the gastronomic market.

And of course, as mentioned earlier, there’s also the skatepark and sports courts, perfect for those looking to skate, shoot some hoops, or play a quick game.

Keep in mind that the skateboard ramps here are quite challenging, making them perfect for advanced skaters. Helmets are required for safety.

Biking & Skating in the Park

Aside from the dedicated skatepark, the park features several paved paths for biking and skating, most of which are located in the northern section. These paths are marked on signs throughout the park.

Please note that bikes and skaters are not allowed on the elevated walkway.

Green Spaces, the Lake & Wildlife

Protecting the local flora and fauna was a key focus in the park's design, with specific measures taken to create habitats for various species.

The huge park offers plenty of nature in the middle of Mérida. Around 3,000 trees were planted when the park was being created.

The newly planted trees, meadows and shrubs have of course taken some time, but thanks to the warm and humid climate, everything is now beautifully green.

From Railway to Recreation

As I mentioned at the beginning, La Plancha Park was built on the massive grounds of what used to be Mérida’s main train station.

Thousands of tons of freight wagons, locomotives, tracks and buildings had to be removed or relocated for this purpose. And all this in the heat of Mérida!

The history of the former station of Mérida dates back to the late 19th century. It served as an important hub for the transportation of people and goods, especially for the export of henequén (a agave fiber).

The station played a key role in Mérida's economic growth. Its transformation began in September 2022, and the park opened on November 19, 2023, attended by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Yucatan Railroad Museum

As mentioned earlier, before its transformation into the vibrant urban space it is today, the site was home to the Yucatán Railroad Museum.

Established in 2000 on the historic railyard of the Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatán, this open-air museum showcased mighty steam engines and weathered carriages, each whispering stories of the peninsula’s bygone railway era.

Despite the relentless toll of sun and rain on its exhibits, the museum endured thanks to the tireless efforts of its caretakers. In 2022, the area embraced a new chapter as part of the park project.

As part of the redevelopment as a park, the Museo de los Ferrocarriles de Yucatán (Yucatan Railroad Museum) was given a new home on an area of around 5,100 square meters on the park grounds.

The museum is located to the north-east opposite the large hall with the gastronomic market (Mercado Gastronómico). A total of 25 of the former 38 locomotives and carriages have been extensively restored and put back on display.

Some interesting railroad objects were also found during the work, for example the remains of a turntable that was used to change the direction of travel of a locomotive. The turntable was restored and is now part of the railroad museum.

One side of the museum building is designed to look like a train platform – and of course, there’s a train standing right there. A sign explains that this is a first-class car that belonged to the Pacific Railroad.

It was imported from Japan in 1976 to serve the Guadalajara–Nogales line, featuring a sophisticated design with cabins and air conditioning that made it comfortable for long journeys.

Overview of the Locomotives and Wagons

All around the park, restored locomotives and wagons are on display, so even without stepping into the railway museum there is plenty to explore and discover.

This wooden boxcar, marked with the emblem of N de M (Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México), is a mid-20th-century freight wagon built for general cargo transport.

With a capacity of 45,000 kilograms, it was used to carry everything from agricultural produce to manufactured goods, featuring side doors for practical loading and unloading.

The carriage has actually been converted into a restroom for park visitors, so now it’s only about unloading 🙂

The red diesel locomotive, numbered 525, belonged to Ferrocarriles Unidos del Sureste, the regional railway of southeast Mexico. It was built by General Electric as part of the Universal series (likely a U20C from the 1960s–70s).

It delivered around 2,000 horsepower and ran on six axles for heavy freight service. Designed for reliability on long routes across the Yucatán Peninsula, it became a workhorse of regional cargo transport before being retired and preserved.

This black tank car, displayed inside the covered market hall, is a classic mid-20th-century freight wagon once used by Mexican railways to transport liquids such as fuel, oil, or water.

Tank cars like this were vital for supplying the Yucatán region with petroleum products and other bulk liquids, reflecting the importance of rail transport in regional industry and commerce.

The long passenger coach, painted in silver with blue and red stripes, is a late-20th-century railway car once operated by Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.

Equipped with windows along the sides and roof-mounted air conditioning units, it was designed to carry travelers comfortably over long distances across the Yucatán and beyond.

Cars like this represented the modernization of Mexican passenger service in the 1970s and 1980s, offering improved ventilation, lighting, and seating compared to earlier wooden or steel coaches.

This rusted steel car is a classic caboose, once used at the end of freight trains. Built in the mid-20th century, cabooses served as rolling offices and lookout posts for train crews, equipped with seating, bunks, and a raised cupola for monitoring the track and cargo.

Although later phased out with modern signaling and braking systems, these cars were essential for long journeys, providing space for conductors and brakemen to rest and keep watch.

Numbered 7298, the striking blue-and-orange diesel locomotive was built by Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors and belongs to the widely used G12 series, introduced in the 1950s and exported worldwide for both freight and passenger service.

With a 1,425-horsepower engine and a Co-Co wheel arrangement, the G12 was valued for its reliability and adaptability to Mexico’s diverse rail network.

Its streamlined hood design and robust build made it a common sight on regional lines throughout the Yucatán and beyond.

Locomotive 510, painted in light blue with the logo of Ferrocarriles Unidos del Sureste (FUS), is a General Electric U20C, part of the Universal series introduced in the 1960s.

Built with a Co-Co wheel arrangement and delivering 2,000 horsepower, the model was designed for heavy freight service across demanding routes.

Robust construction and adaptability made the U20C one of GE’s most widely exported locomotives, serving railways in Mexico, Brazil, and other countries.

Locomotive 5641, painted in dark green, red, and yellow with the N de M (Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México) emblem, is an EMD G12 diesel-electric built by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division.

Introduced in the 1950s, the G12 was a versatile model exported worldwide, offering around 1,425 horsepower and a Co-Co wheel arrangement suitable for both freight and passenger trains.

Compact yet powerful, it became one of the backbone locomotives of Mexico’s rail network during the mid-20th century, valued for reliability and ease of maintenance.

Painted in blue and gray with the Delaware & Hudson Railroad emblem, number 610 is an Alco RS-11 built by the American Locomotive Company in the late 1950s.

Designed as a versatile road switcher, it delivered 1,800 horsepower and featured a B-B wheel arrangement, making it suitable for both freight and passenger service.

After serving in the United States, units like this were later sold to Mexico, where they extended their working lives on regional and mainline railways.

The polished silver railcar marked Santa Fe is a classic American passenger car, built with streamlined stainless-steel siding typical of mid-20th-century design.

Once part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway fleet, it offered travelers a modern and comfortable ride, combining durability with the sleek aesthetics of the golden age of rail travel.

Visiting the Museum of Light

The Museo de La Luz (Museum of Light) was newly opened on November 2, 2023. It is located in the third section of the park, on the corner of Calle 43 and Calle 50 on an area of around 1,250 square meters.

You can wander through captivating light installations, discover the physics behind color and optics, and delve into the cultural and spiritual meanings of light across different civilizations.

As the first of its kind in the region, the Museo de la Luz promises to be a beacon of education and inspiration, illuminating the intersection of art, science, and culture for all who visit.

The Ie-Tram Station in the Park

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The Ie-Tram station in La Plancha Park marks the start of the new Ie-Tram Yucatán, a fully electric BRT network that makes Mérida the first city in Mexico with a 100% electric BRT system and the fourth with electric buses.

The Ie-Tram network consists of 5 lines. The technology comes from Spain and uses magnetic asphalt on its roads, a technology developed in Germany, that allow the vehicle in contact with it to charge itself.

There are connections between the Parque La Plancha and the Engineering Faculty of the UADY, Kanasín (9km east of the center of Mérida), the Teya railway station (behind of Kanasín), Parque Umán and the Umán railway station (approx. 20km southwest of Mérida).

This new means of transportation will thereby link more than 137 neighbourhoods along its route. And which is also great: The Teya Mérida railway station also connects the Ie-Tram with the Tren Maya.

The Tren Maya is a 1,525-kilometer intercity train that will travel around the Yucatán Peninsula. The first route is scheduled to start in December 2023.

Universidad de las Artes de Yucatán

The Universidad de las Artes de Yucatán - the country's leading higher education institution in the field of the arts - is also located on the site. Of particular interest is the historical background of the building, which used to be the station building.

The neo-colonial station building was extensively renovated and transformed into the present university, preserving the original architecture and many of the historic elements.

How to View La Plancha Before 2022

In case you didn't know: With Google Maps and Google Earth, you can explore how places looked in the past and discover fascinating historical changes and hidden details.

If you look at the grounds of Parque La Plancha on Google Maps before 2022, you'll see a fascinating scene – old locomotives and railroad cars scattered across a vast meadow, reflecting a time when steam engines played a major role in daily life in Yucatán.

A quick guide if you want to see other places as well:

1. Open Google Maps

2. Search for the location you want

3. Drag the yellow Street View figure (bottom right) onto the desired spot

4. Click on the small clock icon in the top left corner (if available)

5. A slider will appear, allowing you to browse through past images

The feature for viewing historical Street View images is currently only available on the desktop version of Google Maps. For older satellite images, use Google Earth Pro, which includes a timeline to access historical aerial and satellite imagery.