Starting on March 1st, the Great Museum of Chichén Itzá will open its doors to the public to welcome over 8,000 tourists who visit the archaeological site daily. Last year, it received over 2.3 million visitors, solidifying its position as the most visited archeological area in all of Mexico.
Although there was already an exhibition area inaugurated since 1987, it was necessary to build a museum befitting the greatness of the Mayan civilization. Diego Prieto Hernández, General Director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico, expressed during the inauguration, "We needed a museum that would allow for a more intense and comprehensive exhibition of the wonder of the civilization that flourished in this great city of the Mayans of yesteryear, which continues to be a great reference for today's Mayans. It is a great day for the Integral Project of the Mayan Train, for the Mayan nation, and Mesoamerica."
The Museum is part of the Archaeological Zones Improvement Program (Promeza) and the Integral Development Project of the Mayan Train, both of which jointly aim for the development of southeastern Mexico, as well as the creation of identity and inclusion among its inhabitants.
President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, reiterated that the Mayan Train will be fully inaugurated in June of this year, with 1,554 kilometers of railway tracks for passenger trains. He also recalled that "the great project of the Mayan Train aims to exalt deep Mexico and pay tribute to the ancient Mayans, but also to continue paying the historical debt with today's Mayans, since during the 36 years of the neoliberal period, the southeast grew zero percent, while the north of the country registered four percent annually."
The Museum houses over 400 original pieces and objects from the Regional Museum of Yucatan, the Palacio Canton, and the Great Museum of the Mayan World in Merida. It will also exhibit various reconstructions such as the substructure located below El Castillo, a distinctive feature of Chichén Itzá, as well as facades and vestiges recovered during salvage operations for the Mayan Train.
Additionally, it will feature a 360-degree immersion room, allowing visitors to learn about the lifestyle, worldview, and language of the ancient Mayans. It will also include an Archaeological Research Center to keep the museum discourse up to date.
Currently, the completion of the Visitor Center is pending, which will serve to reorganize the services offered in the archaeological zone and will generate income for the community, artisans, merchants, and tourist guides who bring this place to life.
The museum can be accessed through the service area existing in the archaeological zone or through the Chichén Itzá station of the Mayan Train. Additionally, visitors can enjoy the Chichén Viejo area, inaugurated by President López Obrador in September 2023.
Chichén Itzá archaeological site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 and was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World in 2007, so the museum consolidates the region's tourist offer and, above all, manages to link the great Mayan nation of the past with the Mayan people of the present, who are part of the country's cultural diversity.