Last Updated on August 30, 2023 by Soumya
Planning to visit the Mayan Museum in Cancun? Wondering what to do at Museo Maya? Confused about tickets, tours, and opening hours?
Don’t worry. I am here to help.
Here’s most epic Visitor’s Guide for the Mayan Museum in Cancun that’ll give you all the deets.
Whether you wish to find the best things to see at Cancun’s Maya Museum, book the best tours, or get to the museum in the easiest possible way, you’ll find all details listed here.
The Mayan Museum is, undoubtedly, one of Cancun’s best attractions. It is not just a treasure trove of ancient Mayan artifacts but is also home to one of the best Mayan ruins in Cancun.
C’mon, let’s check out what this exciting Cancun museum has on offer.
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🥇Best Private Tour of Cancun Mayan Museum
No time to read the whole article? Just need the best tour? I get it.
Here’s the Best Private Tour of the Mayan Museum in Cancun. Also includes Cenote Azul and Mercado 23.
About the Mayan Museum in Cancun
- The Mayan Museum in Cancun, locally known as Museo Maya, is an intriguing museum that is a treasure house of artifacts depicting the life and culture of the Mayans.
- The Mayans were one of the most powerful civilizations of Mesoamerica that lasted almost 2000 years.
- In the museum premises, you’ll also find the ruins of an ancient Mayan site called San Miguelito.
- Museo Maya has a sleek and modern design that was conceptualized and implemented by Alberto Garcia Lascurain, a Mexican architect. The exhibition galleries are located at a height of 26 feet from where you can get some stunning views of the jungles of Yucatan and the Nichupte Lagoon.
- The museum is located at KM 16.5 on the Kukulcan Boulevard, the main street that runs through the Hotel Zone in Cancun. It is one of the easiest attractions to get to.
- Visiting the Mayan Museum as part of your Mayan trail in the Yucatan Peninsula is a great way to learn more and gain a deeper understanding of this lost civilization.
📖 Related Read: Visiting Cancun? Check out our bucket list of the 18 best things to do in Cancun Mexico.
Mayan Museum of Cancun Exhibits
Exhibition Galleries at Museo Maya
Museo Maya or the Mayan Museum in Cancun has three different galleries that visitors can check out.
The galleries are located on an elevated platform that’s about 26 feet high. You can climb the ramp or take the elevator to get here.
Here’s what each of these galleries holds.
1st Gallery at Cancun Maya Museum
The first gallery presents the Mayan civilization’s growth over the years, the rise of their cities, and the fall of the Mayans.
An impressive display of artifacts such as engraved stelae and pyramid models reveals the depth and complexity of Mayan architecture. Pottery and ritual objects give us a sneak peek into the lives of the Mayans.
Key takeaway – A brief idea of the Mayan timeline and the rise and fall of important cities like Chichen Itza.
2nd Gallery at Cancun’s Maya Museum
The second gallery is more interesting because it takes you on an immersive tour of the Mayan culture.
Here, you’ll learn all about the writing systems developed by the Mayans, their obsession with time and astronomy, efficient farming techniques that formed strong foundations for their cities, and the evolution of Mayan architecture.
If you’re planning to soak in as much information about the Mayan civilization as possible before leaving the shores of Mexico, then this is the place to be!
3rd Gallery at Cancun Maya Museum
The 3rd and the last gallery is a temporary exhibition gallery. Therefore, the displays here keep on changing.
When I went last, the museum had an interesting collection from Chupicuaro in Central Mexico. The Chupicuaro Civilization dates to the Pre-Classical Era of Mexican history.
People of Chupicuaro were adept at making unique pottery figurines that had strange, coffee-bean shaped eyes. These figurines could be both two-dimensional and three-dimensional. You can read more about them and see some pictures on the University of Oregon website here.
Chupicuaro pottery vessels were also quite popular and were traded throughout Mesoamerica.
✦ Pro Tip: Civilizations ebbed and flowed throughout the history of Mexico. To learn more, check out our article on the 20 most fascinating Mexican pyramids that were built by the people of ancient civilizations.
San Miguelito Mayan Ruins at Museo Maya
Apart from the usual exhibition galleries, Museo Maya is also home to an ancient Mayan ruin in Cancun – The Ruins of San Miguelito.
After touring the galleries upstairs, you can come down and check out the San Miguelito ruins – an amazing Mayan museum in the jungles.
The San Miguelito Mayan Ruins were once a bustling Mayan trading city dating to the Post-Classic Period between the 12th – 15th centuries. The site displays the East Coast architectural style that’s seen at the ruins of Tulum.
What to see at San Miguelito Ruins?
As you stroll the pathway that winds through the archaeological site, you will see residential structures, administrative buildings, and a pyramid.
The highlights include the Chaak Palace Group that consists of a group of structures aligned around a central plaza. Further, there are northern and southern group of buildings.
At the end of the trail, there’s a a small pyramid, maybe 15 feet tall. In the olden times, the pyramid was an important stop on the causeway that connected the sites of San Miguelito and El Rey.
Though not as huge as Chichen Itza, San Miguelito still gives an interesting peek into the lives of the Mayans and an immersion into Mayan architecture and astronomical designs.
Be ready to spot lots of iguanas. 🙂
✦ Pro Tip: Interested in seeing more Mayan ruins? Check out the 12 most epic Mayan ruins to visit in Cancun.
Mayan Museum of Cancun Tickets & Prices
Tickets to the Mayan Museum of Cancun cost 90 pesos ($5.5). You’ll have to pay an extra 50 pesos if you want to record videos.
The ticket office accepts only Mexican pesos, no dollars. If you wish to pay by card, they accept VISA and Mastercard.
You can buy your tickets at the box office counter at the museum or online here.
There’s hardly ever a queue at the museum. So, there’s really no need to buy your tickets in advance. Just buy them at the museum.
Guided Tours of Cancun Mayan Museum
I highly recommend taking a guided tour of the Mayan Museum in Cancun to understand the museum displays and the San Miguelito ruins better.
A lot of the signage inside the museum is available only in Spanish. Having a guide explain them to you really helps.
The museum doesn’t do guided tours and no guides are available on site. However, there are a couple of best Mayan Museum guided tours (listed below) that you can choose from.
- This highly-recommended private tour of Cancun City includes a guided excursion of the Mayan Museum and San Miguelito Ruins. Later, you’ll explore the lesser-known Cenote Azul and eat & shop at the traditional Mercado 23. ↳BOOK YOUR CANCUN PRIVATE TOUR NOW.
- On this small-group tour, you’ll explore the Mayan Museum and San Miguelito Ruins with a certified tour guide who’s also a member of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS). You’ll not just learn about the Mayan civilization but also figure out how it connects with the Book of Mormon. ↳ CHECK OUT THE LDS MAYAN MUSEUM TOUR HERE.
Cancun Mayan Museum Opening Hours
The Mayan Museum of Cancun is open 9:00am – 6:00pm, Tuesday through Sunday. Box office closes at 5:30pm.
The San Miguelito Archeological Site closes at 5:30pm.
How to get to the Maya Museum in Cancun?
You can drive to the Mayan Museum in Cancun. It is located at KM 16.5 on the Kukulcan Boulevard in the Hotel Zone and is easy to spot. There’s adequate parking available at the museum.
Click here to rent your car in Cancun.
An easier way to get to Museo Maya is by taking the local bus. Take either R1 or R2 bus and get down at Museo Maya. Buses run every 10 mins.
Museo Maya Visitors FAQ
Yes, the Mayan Museum in Cancun is absolutely worth visiting because it is a gold mine of knowledge and artifacts depicting the life and culture of the ancient Mayan people. The presence of the San Miguelito Mayan ruin on site makes the place even more appealing.
Yes, Cancun does have a Mayan Museum called the Museo Maya which is an absolute treasure trove of ancient Mayan artifacts and historical knowledge. The ruins of San Miguelito Archeological Site are also present on site.
There’s sufficient parking available at the Maya de Cancun Museum. An easier way to get to the museum is by the city bus which runs every 10 mins.
Tickets to enter Museo Maya in Cancun cost 90 pesos or roughly $5.5. If you want to record videos on your visit, you’ll need to pay another 50 pesos.
The Mayan Museum of Cancun is located at KM 16.5 of Kukulcan Boulevard in Cancun’s Zona Hotelera region.
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