All about Museo de los Ferrocarriles de Yucatán in Mérida

The Museo de los Ferrocarriles de Yucatán, located within Parque La Plancha, gives the whole place a special vibe for me – it’s one of the reasons it feels so meaningful.

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

For years, I’d meant to visit, but by then the site already felt like a forgotten relic slowly being swallowed by nature. Despite the toll of sun and rain, the collection endured thanks to the tireless efforts of its caretakers.

Then everything changed. The railyard was fenced off, heavy machinery rolled in, and the major redevelopment of Parque La Plancha began. That project sparked our interest so much that we started looking for a house nearby – and that’s how Casa Loltún came into our lives.

Today, Parque La Plancha is the largest and most impressive park in Mérida. At its heart stands the renewed Museo de los Ferrocarriles de Yucatán, spread over about 5,100 square meters between the artificial lake and the skate park.

The locomotives and carriages have been extensively restored and returned to display – many positioned outdoors across the park where visitors can explore them freely, while others are housed inside the museum building, which requires an entrance fee.

The museum also incorporates finds uncovered during the redevelopment, such as the remains of a turntable once used to change the direction of locomotives – now fully restored and part of the exhibition.

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.

Museum Opening Hours and Admission Prices

Entry to the park is free, and you’ll already find plenty of old locomotives on display as you walk around. If you want to check out the museum building inside the park, though, there’s a small admission fee.

The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm, and on Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm. It’s closed on Mondays. Kids under 13 get in free – for everyone else, ticket prices vary depending on your status:

• 120 pesos for foreign visitors

• 80 pesos for Mexican citizens

• 60 pesos for military personnel

• 40 pesos for students, teachers, seniors, and Yucatán residents

A New Home for Old Trains

The whole site has deep roots – it used to be the main railyard for Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatán. When train service shut down in 1997, a small private museum popped up in 2000 to keep a piece of that history alive.

As part of the big park makeover, the original museum got a fresh new setup. Moving those massive locomotives was no small task – it took heavy-duty cranes and serious planning.

Today, some of the trains are housed in a beautifully restored warehouse with three old tracks running through it. Others are scattered around the park, giving the whole place a cool, open-air museum vibe.

From Rust to Restoration

Originally, 38 locomotives and carriages stood on the grounds of the old railway station.

Of these, 25 were meticulously restored under the supervision of Mexico's National Defense Secretariat. They are now displayed across the vast site, many of which were donated by Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.

Before the redevelopment of the park, most locomotives and wagons were unfortunately in poor condition, affected by rust and corrosion, and partially reclaimed by nature.

There were neither the financial nor the personnel resources to maintain them properly. Now, the restored exhibits shine in new splendor.

Most of the trains on display date from the late 19th century to the 1980s. Notable pieces include two of the three surviving ALCO "Century" C-628 diesel locomotives and one of the last American-type 4-4-0 locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works.

Historical Railroad Artifacts

During the renovation, several historical railroad artifacts were uncovered, including the remains of a turntable once used to change a locomotive’s direction. The turntable was restored and is now an integral part of the museum.

In the past, the museum saw very few visitors, with some weekdays passing without a single guest. Now, with its new location and revitalized collection, the museum is entering a new chapter.

Overview of the Locomotives and Wagons

All around the park, the 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.

Museo de la Luz

Museo de la Luz (the Museum of Light) is also located at Parque La Plancha. It was already there, got a full makeover, and reopened with a fresh look on November 2, 2023.

The museum is an institution of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and is located in a corner of the park at Calle 43 and Calle 50.

Museo de la Luz offers interactive exhibits exploring the physics of light, the evolution of optical instruments, and the significance of light in various cultures.