Gran Museo de Chichén Itzá

The Great Museum of Chichén Itzá (Spanish: Gran Museo de Chichén Itzá) is an archaeological museum located near the town of Pisté, in the municipality of Tinum, Yucatán, Mexico. Inaugurated on February 28, 2024,^[2] the museum houses a collection of over 1,000 pieces, including 400 original artifacts donated by the Regional Museum of Anthropology of Yucatán, the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya [es] in Mérida, and materials recovered during archaeological salvage work carried out during the construction of the Maya Train.

Great Museum of Chichén Itzá

Entrance of the Great Museum of Chichén Itzá
Established	February 28, 2024
Location	Tinum Municipality, Yucatán, Mexico
Type	Archaeological museum
Collection size	Over 1,000 pieces (400 originals and replicas)
Director	María Guadalupe Espinosa Rodríguez[1]
Website	https://sic.cultura.gob.mx/ficha.php?table=museo&table_id=2422

Description

Chac Mool sculpture at the museum entrance

The museum offers an immersive experience into the history of Chichén Itzá, one of the most important cities of the Maya civilization. Through more than 540 archaeological pieces and lots, visitors can explore the development of this city,^[3] which controlled the northern Yucatán Peninsula for over 300 years. Among the highlights are replicas of the hidden substructure beneath "El Castillo" and various sculptures of Chac Mool.

The museum is part of the Visitor Attention Center (Catvi), designed by Quesnel Arquitectos and built in the context of the Maya Train project. It covers an area of 3,400 square meters, housing exhibition halls, spaces for cultural activities, workshops, conferences, and a gastronomic center promoting local cuisine, where the Mayan language is spoken with the support of a linguist.

Exhibitions and themes

The museographic script is based on studies by the INAH Yucatán Center and the Chichén Itzá Archaeological Project.^[4] The exhibition is organized into 14 thematic axes:

• Welcome to Chichén Itzá
• Flora and fauna
• Ceramic chronology
• Trade routes
• Sacred Cenote
• Cosmovision and power
• Writing and lineage
• Ballgame
• Astronomy and mathematics
• Architecture
• Urban development
• Mural painting and stucco
• Specialized production areas
• Social organization

A standout feature is the Sacred Cenote Room, which offers a multimedia recreation of this water body used in Mayan rituals. Recently discovered artifacts are also displayed, such as a stone table with reliefs of captives and an offering of five vessels found in Sacbé 4.^[4]

Accessibility and location

The parking lot

The museum is located in the archaeological zone of Chichén Itzá and can be visited by tourists arriving at the Chichén Itzá station of the Maya Train. It includes an immense parking lot,^[5] research laboratories, conservation storage, and a specialized library on Mesoamerican studies.^[3]