Museo Maya Cancun – Cancun’s New Maya Museum
On November 1, 2012, Mexican President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa inaugurated the Museo Maya de Cancún (Cancún Maya Museum), the latest in the network of museums operated by the Mexican Institute of Anthropology & History (INAH). Also attending the event was the Governor of Quintana Roo, Roberto Borge Angulo, the Director of the INAH Regional Center for Quintana Roo, Adriana Velazquez Morlet, museum curators and local archaeologists, hotel and tourism industry representatives. The new museum is located in the forest in front of The Royal Mayan and next to the archaeological site of San Miguelito, which has also been restored and will be opened to the public.
Designed by Mexican architect, Alberto García Lascurain, the museum has more than 1,350 square meters of exhibition space divided into three galleries. One of the galleries will showcase the many archaeological sites in Quintana Roo and some of the most important artifacts unearthed during excavations, including ceramics, stone carvings, jade, bone and even gold trade goods. The second gallery is dedicated to the Maya culture and archaeology throughout the Maya World, making it an invaluable introduction to this fascinating civilization for visitors. The third will host seasonal exhibitions, the first of which is titled Masks of Divinity.
The museum will initially open with 400 exhibits, but the complete collection is expected to comprise around 3,500 Mayan artifacts. The new facility also has educational facilities and offices for museum staff and archaeologists working in the north of the state.
The project cost $170 million pesos and was funded by INAH and the Quintana Roo State Government, which contributed $18 million pesos.
This museum is yet another attraction for visitors and Cancún residents alike. It will be open daily except Mondays.
