Mummies of Guanajuato Museum

Address: Museo de las Momias (Guanajuato centro), Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

The Mummies of Guanajuato are a collection of naturally mummified human remains displayed in a museum in the city of Guanajuato, central Mexico. The collection is well known for the number and state of preservation of the bodies.

The museum displays more than a hundred naturally mummified individuals together with funerary objects and interpretive panels; exhibits are compact and focus on preservation and the circumstances of burial. The presentation is direct and museum spaces are small, so visits are typically short.

Most of the corpses were exhumed in the 19th century under local burial practices and stayed preserved due to the mineral and climatic conditions of the burial ground. The assembled collection and the museum grew from these exhumations and subsequent display decisions by local authorities.

The museum is located in the historic city of Guanajuato, in the state of Guanajuato. It sits within the urban core and is usually visited alongside other downtown museums and plazas.

• Content warning: Exhibits include a large number of naturally mummified bodies and associated burial objects; some displays can be graphic and are not recommended for young children.
• Date and preservation: Most mummies date from the 19th century and were exhumed under local burial regulations and soil conditions that produced natural mummification.

The Museo de las Momias is in central Guanajuato city. From the nearest major city, León, drive roughly 40 km on the León-Guanajuato road (toll and free routes available) into downtown Guanajuato - allow about 40-50 minutes by car depending on traffic. There are frequent intercity buses from León, San Miguel de Allende and Mexico City to Guanajuato’s central bus terminal; from the central bus terminal or main plazas the museum is a short taxi ride or a 10-20 minute walk through the historic center.

If you are already in Guanajuato look for signs to the Panteón Municipal/Calle de las Momias area near the city center; parking and local taxis are common for a quick door-to-door trip.

• Aim for the first hour after opening or late afternoon: guided groups and school trips concentrate in the middle of the day, so early or late visits let you view the displays with fewer people and softer light for photos.
• Combine the museum visit with a short walk to the adjacent Panteón de Santa Paula: the cemetery provides important context for the collection and is often overlooked by visitors who only see the exhibition halls.
• Avoid visiting during the Festival Internacional Cervantino (mid‑October) when the city swells with visitors and lines at the museum grow considerably.