15 Best Museums in Mérida, Mexico in 2024

Standout museums in Mérida

The 15 best museums in Mérida, Mexico in 2024 include, first of all, the two standout museums. This is the MACAY (Museo de Arte Popular de Yucatán), which display modern and regional art and Gran Museo del Mundo Maya for ancient and contemporary mayan artifacts (one of the most important in Latin America). The Mayan World Museum exhibits a magnificent collection of more than 1,160 pieces of the Maya.

Some important tips

What you should bear in mind is that most museums in Mexico are closed on Mondays. And it is important to know that locals enjoy free admission on Sundays, so it is more crowded.

History museums

Those interested in history have exciting options. Besides Gran Museo del Mundo Maya the Museo Regional de Antropología has a program of continuous temporary exhibitions, which seek to disseminate the cultural heritage from the pre-Hispanic past to the present day.

The Museo de la Ciudad de Mérida (Museum of the City of Mérida, 1.9 km from Casa Loltún) is a museum dedicated to the history of the city of Mérida, from its time as a Mayan site of T'Ho to the present. The beautiful building is also of historical importance.

There is also a nice Natural History Museum (Museo de Historia Natural) in Mérida. The museum is located on the side of the Parque Zoológico del Centenario. The museum presents the history of the local fauna and flora. You can therefore easily combine a visit to the museum with a visit to the zoo if you like.

Specialty museums

Some of the best museums in Mérida in 2024 include a number of specialty museums. Head for example to Casas Gemelas. The well-known "twin houses" are a pair of French-style mansions on Paseo de Montejo. One property was turned into a museum and can be visited.

Another gem on Paseo de Montejo is Casa Museo Montes Molina, which showcases features of the historic mansions from which they were converted. Here you can see how families lived in the city at that time. It is not one of the largest, but certainly one of the most beautiful villas in Mérida and in excellent condition.

The Museo Casa Montejo is located directly on the Plaza Grande and is the former restored house of Don Francisco de Montejo - conqueror of Yucatán and founder of the city of Mérida. It dates back to the year 1540.

The Palacio de la Música Museum publicize and preserve popular and traditional Mexican music. The unusual Museo de la Canción Yucateca at Parque de la Mejorada was exclusively created to pay tribute to the great Yucatecan composers and singers.

The Museo de La Luz (museum of light), which focuses on the phenomenon of light and Museo de los Ferrocarriles de Yucatán (the Yucatán Railroad Museum) with 25 old renovated locomotives and wagons, are both located in the newest, most beautiful and largest park in Mérida, the Gran Parque La Plancha.

A little outside of Mérida

Dzibilchaltún, an archaeological site 30km from Mérida, includes a small museum ("Museo de las Mayas"), which displays a collection of Mayan artifacts and Spanish colonial era items.