Museo de la Cultura Maya

The Museo de la Cultura Maya is a fascinating museum about Maya culture where you’ll feel like you’re traveling into the past to relive the customs, stories, and glory of the Mayan kingdoms that once ruled the region. Learn about everything you can experience in this museum located in the center of Chetumal, Quintana Roo.

What Can You See in the Museo de la Cultura Maya?

The museum is laid out around a central garden flanked by tall, wide corridors leading to exhibition rooms. It is made up of eight rooms depicting the development of Mayan culture, its origins, and aspects of daily life: agriculture, trade, science, technology, and Maya worldview. A dense rainforest crosses the three exhibition floors diagonally, complete with sounds of real local animals, such as birds and howler monkeys.

The museum’s collection is laid out as follows:

• Room 1: El Mayab and its People. It describes the historical location, habitat, and language and explains the settlement process.
• Room 2: Between the Mountain and the Sea. This exhibit explores the relationship between humans and nature, as well as the cultural products of this relationship, through stelae, videos, dioramas, and illustrations.
• Room 3: The Place of Thrones and Seats. This room is devoted to architecture, both the ceremonial and the urban structure of Mayan cities.
• Room 4: The People of Corn. This exhibit addresses the economic activities typical of the Mayan production process, such as hunting, fishing, gathering, agriculture, and trade.
• Room 5: This exhibit explains the symbolic connection established by humans with the world. This overview covers mythical origins, funeral customs, and the core figure of the kapok tree, linking the underworld, human world, and celestial sphere.
• Room 6: The Wisdom of the Ancients. Here visitors learn about Mayan knowledge of the stars, time, and numbers and the writing system they developed.
• Room 7: The Foreigners. This room explains the presence of cultural contacts with other peoples, such as the Teotihuacans, the Mayan-Putunes, and groups affiliated with the Toltec culture.
• Room 8: The Collapse of the World. This account of the presence and activity of Spanish conquerors concludes the museum’s exhibits and marks the beginning of the prophecies predicting darkness.

Did You Know? 

The museum visit also includes access to the archeological zone of San Miguelito, consisting of architectural complexes like La Gran Pirámide (Great Pyramid), El Sur, and Dragones (Dragons)—so named because in the 1970s, serpent heads were found that locals erroneously identified as dragons.

Hours and Costs

The museum entrance fee is $64 pesos for adults. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.