Museum of the Mummies of Guanajuato

I was surprised by this museum! 😱 There were so many different mummies. And some bad stories, too! They have the YOUNGEST mummy in the world, a 6-month old fetus mummy! 😱 And the stories are in English & Spanish! 🙏🏼 I wish there were English tours available. Or headset to listen to stories... Or QR codes to read more about the stories.. that would be nice.. No bathrooms inside 😔 Pay bathrooms outside.

I loved this mummy—honestly, it fascinated me on so many levels. When I first walked into the museum, there was a noticeable scent. Not a creepy or unpleasant one, but something strangely familiar… earthy, maybe? It felt like the scent of time itself. What the staff didn’t mention was that my 106-peso ticket only allowed access to the basic exhibit. I didn’t realize this until I was about to leave and noticed there were other areas I couldn’t enter. That part was a bit disappointing—so make sure you buy the full ticket if you go. The tour guides spoke only Spanish, so I didn’t understand much at the time. But once I got home and did my research, everything clicked. These mummies are completely natural. No embalming. No rituals. They were discovered when the government exhumed bodies due to unpaid burial taxes—and shockingly, many were perfectly preserved by the dry conditions and the unique soil. The first mummy ever found was a priest, which is why he’s quite famous here. But the most heart-wrenching and iconic is the six-month-old baby mummy. The baby was found still in its mother’s arms—most likely both died during childbirth. That image really stuck with me. What struck me most was how this baby, who would’ve been seen as a symbol of the divine, ended up buried without breath, sealed in sawdust, only to survive time as a mummy. It’s philosophical. It’s poetic. And no, it’s not scary at all. These mummies are oddly endearing. Almost gentle in the way they speak to mortality. Later, while walking through the local market, I saw some sweet potatoes and tree roots in the same earthy tones as the mummies. Everything started to feel connected—like nature, death, time, and even snacks are speaking in the same color palette. Wild, right? So if you’re visiting Guanajuato: 💀 Don’t skip the mummy museum. 🎟️ Buy the full ticket. 📚 Read up afterward if you don’t speak Spanish. 😌 And if you’re scared—honestly, don’t be. These mummies aren’t scary. They’re full of stories and quiet wisdom. If you’re too afraid… maybe it’s best not to come. But if you’re curious, it’s absolutely worth it.

Great museum, been here when I was kid and now as an adult. Very neat to see and understand. Parking is 18 pesos an hour. We spent an hour with even using the rest room and grabbing a snack.

This was my fourth time coming here. Love all the small shops outside for souvenirs. Great experience

First of all, either you purchase tickets online, or DONT GO! The line to purchase tickets is insane — it drives me nuts that people still line up when they can buy tickets online and cut the wait time by 90%. The museum is unique of course, you won’t see the same thing elsewhere in the world. But the experience was physically painful. It’s extremely crowded, the air was so stuffy, and I really felt physically sick half way through the museum (the whole visit was no more than 30min). So keep in mind this potential unpleasant experience inside the museum, and you will understand my recommendation to don’t even go if you can’t buy tickets online. It could have been much better though. They could sell timed tickets and limit the number of people inside at any given time.

Glad I read the reviews beforehand so I knew what to expect. GO DIRECTLY TO THE MUSEUM PARKING. Be prepared to pay extra if using a card. Went in the morning. Hardly anyone was there besides random people (4+) trying AGRESSEVELY to hawk super inflated items in the parking lot. The exhibits were nice enough, but not very informative. Maybe 15 of the mummies actually had an explanation of their origins. Didn't pay extra for the fancier exhibits though. The gift shop had a decent selection, but also inflated prices. $230 pesos for a T shirt when other vendors are selling for around $150. All in all if you're in the area it's a fine museum, but I wouldn't make this the sole reason to visit GTO.

First time visiting. Very interesting. Worth the trip. A long line on Sunday, super crowded and a long wait to purchase tickets and enter. Group tours led by a guide. Too many people to fit in each salon and it was hard to hear the guide. Also, as a non native speaker it was extremely difficult to understand all the complex aspects of the tour/museum/mummies. However it was still very interesting and memorable.

This museum is unique because of its mummies. If you are visiting Guanajuato, I recommend going to this museum. The price to go in is cheap, and it's worth it. It's interesting to learn how some of the mummies die. The museum has its own parking lot and it's $20 pesos per hour. When getting to the museum, don't pay attention to people trying to get you to go to another parking lot because a lot of times they'll take you to a really small parking lot. Just go straight to the museum.

Five stars because 1) it's amazing 2) definitely a must-do in Guanajuato and 3) it's creepy as hell lol. Even though it can be kinda repetitive to see all the mummies, they really did a great job with the exhibits and the stories around the history. The museum is clean and well organized. You'll need to Uber there, but it's worth it, and one hour is probably enough time. It's pretty cheap too. Reminded me a bit of the Museo e Cripta dei Cappuccini in Rome.

Wonderful tour of Guanajuato's mummys. In the cemetery above, bodies are "burried" stacked into a wall. The coffins are air tight, being perfect conditions for mummification. All of the bodies moisture absorbed in 6 years by their wooden coffins. Not for the weak, this museum displays the stages of death and decay. Some mummies missing skin, some their whole bodies, but most on display are fully intact with hair. The mummies range in age, from infants to mid 80s. Bonus points: Handy cap accessible, very fairly priced, and photography is allowed without flash.

Had to do it! It is a world famous museum! My husband's reason for visiting Guanajato! The museum is unique, yet very creepy! So prepare yourself. It can take at least an hour to visit it entirely. Check their site for hours and ticket admission. Open daily! Big parking lot near it! The preservation is amazing, the mummies date from a cholera outbreak in the city in 1833. Once again, you will learn about the history of the city while visiting the museum. It's like no other experience! Uncomfortable, yet fascinating!

This is probably the number 1 thing you need to do when visiting Guanajuato... The mummies is definitely one of the cities top attractions and is very interesting... We went a few years ago during the prime of Covid, so there was hardly any people... I'm pretty sure if you were to go now it os busy... The museum is very clean and pretty cool... They have displays of mummies from all age groups and some have descriptions and pictures of what they looked like prior... The whole museum will probably take like 2 hours depending if you stop and read all the descriptions. We got some really cool pictures of the mummies and had the museum to ourselves... They say some of the mummies aren't real, but even if they aren't it's still a pretty cool experience... Before entering and leav the museum they have stores to buy treats and souvenirs... They have their own parking lot as well but I would recommend going early or possibly during their low season so you don't have to deal with to many people... But I definitely recommend checking this place out if you ever go to Guanajuato.

Muy interesante lo remodelaron y esta bonito algo nuevo para los que andan de paseo'hay muchas cosas hermosas don quijote de la mancha

For just under $90 MXN/adult, this is well worth a visit, especially if you're into horror, gore, creepy stuff, or whatever you fancy. While none of these things are my bag, I couldn't help the allure of a mummy museum. It gets pretty packed in here, and hot, not only because it's somewhat small, but also because the mummies are sitting in humidors to preserve what remains. Apparently, the families of these poor souls were unable to pay their debt, which prompted graveyard authorities to dig up the bodies to make room for the paying dead. So, in addition this attraction being creepy, it's also sad, and each one of these people has a story. If you can tolerate the crowd and the heat, it's worth reading into their backgrounds.

I really enjoyed this experience. Never seen anything like it in USA. Little creepy, but that's expected. Well done.

A place to visit, if you want to look at odd things come here...my kids enjoyed seeing the mummies..they asked so many questions... I like the fact that they let you take pictures!!!! Ofcourse with out the flash so you dont damage the mummies!!! The museum is kinda small..dont expect to be here for hours..thats on the weekdays... Enjoy!!!@

The place is open but at the beginning of the museum the are still mopping the floor and we have to wait with no where to sit. Finally went in with the floor still all wet.

This place is pretty cool. Super neat mummies. Very nice cases and lots of stories inside the cases in both english y espanol! Presentation was good. Funny 88 pesos per adult to get in but 31 pesos to take photos with your camera. That's funny. Our bad for a few things: Walking from our hotel in Centro. Super crazy walk. Hard and long. Took about 1 hour up a couple brutal hills. Take a taxi. Walk home a bit easier but still long. Also the line and wait to get in due to it being Sunday 1 pm after mass let out. Our bad. But it was worth the wait so do it. Once in a lifetime experience.

What a fun and interesting afternoon! We lucked out and there were barely any people the day we went. It allowed time to linger and catch snippets of a tour ahead of us. The journey to the museum is a hike up the hill, but we found a spot with 50 peso micheladas for the walk back to town. Lots of kitschy stuff to buy outside. Not a whole lot in the way of translated materials, but that seems to be the case for much of Mexico. Worth it!

This is my 3rd time visiting Guanajuato and stopping to see the "mummies" is always on my to do list. It's a bit of a morbid attraction, considering I'm pretty sure most of the mummies are only around 100 years old. (One of the mummies has a sign saying she died in 1922). But it's still fascinating. These aren't actual mummies like you think of where they're wrapped in cloth. Something about the soil here preserved the bodies so the decomposition process never happened. Only down side is there's really not much of an explanation for what you're looking at. This is a self guided tour and only a few signs tell you a few pieces of information. Otherwise, you don't really know a lot about what happened to these people or what is going on. It's a cheap attraction, with prices being around 5 american dollars per person. But I don't recommend trying to park if you're visiting later in the afternoon or on during a holiday time because there is very limited parking.

Tristemente esperaba muncho mas pero de todas maneras vela la Pena, la espera no fue tan mal cuando fui yo pero escuche que depende la temporada. La tarifa es bastante razonable

I waited a few years to come here due to my work schedule. But it was definitely worth the wait and finally come to Guanajuato. The mommies are not actually mommies but dry bodies due to the water density. Either way there are real bodies and you should come and see them fisrt hand. You can take pictures and rent a guide for tips. Must do if you come to Guanajuato. It was on my bucket list, yes!!

This museum, located in the heart of colonial Guanajuato, is very small. Basically three large rooms. The wait to get into the museum is longer than the actual tour. That being said it is still worth the wait. The museum guide conducts the tour in Spanish and gives a full account of how the mummies got to be preserved and who the people are. The images are graphic. You see a mother and small child, a man who was obviously quite large, and several women whose faces seem to scream in pain. It is not a tour for the weak nor is it sensationalized to disrespect the dead. Yet, I did feel rather tacky taking a selfie with the mummies. I don't recommend you do that! We were serenaded by local performers while we waited in line. Overall, I recommend the tour.

It was fun and all but tbh it was a little too short they need new inventory and more background on mummies would like some history on them

Mmmmm let's just say this place needs some help. The price was a little to much For what it really is. Finished the Museum in about 30 min. It's a bit stuffy and dark. I would say it's good for tourists who never been but personally I would rather visit another place from Guanajuato Iv never been. Took my daughter and she liked it (age 11). The gift store was and the vendors right outside are $$$. I thought I would get nice souvenirs for a good price wrong!! Over priced and not cute at all. Got all my souvenirs at Mercado Hidalgo.

This museum located in the colonial city of Guanajuato Mexico is the strangest place I've ever seen. The museum is filled with mummified bodies of Mexican people. Fully clothed skin eyelashes hair. The only thing missing is fluid in the body. The weirdest expressions in faces and the people range from the very young to the very old. An explanation is noted at each body. This museum is not for the faint hearted for sure. My husband was freaked out. Me, not so much. I'm a nurse!! Apparently the bodies were exhumed due to unpaid taxes and the plan was to rebury them. However much to the dismay & horror of the workers they never decomposed. In my opinion this museum is a must see if in this part of Mexico. A time for reflection and sacred reverence for sure.

I feel like this museum could have been more impactful if there were more information about the mummies or mummification process. There are many mummy displays but with little or no information about anything. You can easily go through this tour within 30 minutes. The entrance fee is 88 pesos and discounted prices if you're older than 60, Mexican citizen or student. This is a good place to go if you have a guided tour or no other places to see. We walked from the center of the city. It was a 20 minute walk, about half up hill. Good exercise and panoramic view of the city

My friends feel uncomfortable but I kinda like it. Particularly all the quotes. Super philosophical.

Got in just before the guided tour. It was in Spanish but some mummies / exhibitions have brief descriptions in spanish and in english. This place felt eerie it it just about gave me goosebumps. Lots of if interesting background and tid bits of how the mummies became so we'll preserved. The tour slash walk through went fairly quick but dense with interesting information.

Make sure to add this museum to your list! I recommend you check out tours offered since it is difficult to navigate through Guanajuato. This city was not built for cars so you will run across one-way's and no street lights! So it's best to have a local tour guide drive you around. Don't be afraid to bargain with them. The museum takes about 30-40 minutes to walk through. Our tour guide gave us 30 minutes before our bus left and we had plenty of time to walk through and visit the vendors outside. It's a very unique experience to see mummified bodies. They allow you to take as many pictures as you like as long as the flash is OFF. Parking: Paid parking provided Wait time: average 30-45 min

The right word to describe this place is fascinating. You can find countless mummies of all ages. It really surprised to see the change of the human body when the body has no liquid. In this museum you will see endless mummies, all under glass for protection. My recommendation is that you pay a tourist guide for a tour through the museum so that in this way you understand and enjoy the place. Tiene un año que visite este lugar y quede realmente impactado por todo lo que encierra. Ver a las momias es realmente sorprendente porque a pesar de que algunas llevan muchos años siguen intactas. Algunas de las momias aun conservan sus dientes cabello y vello púbico. Yo disfrute mucho mi viaje tal vez porque iba con varios amigos y porque un guía de turista nos explico varios de los puntos importantes de este lugar. Una de las cosas que me llamo mucho la atención es de que la gente anteriormente se robaba pedazos de las momias cuando no tenían protección.

The Museum of the Mummies (Museo de los Momias) is a unique experience and this is one of the most famous tourist attractions in all of Mexico. The museum contains the Mummies of Guanajuato, hundreds of naturally mummified human bodies that were buried as victims of a major cholera outbreak in the Guanajuato area in 1833. Now in glass display cases. Looks of agony on their faces, like they encountered evil. Just like zombies. Around 1860, a local tax was imposed requiring a fee to be paid to keep individual bodies in the ground. The wealthy could afford a one-time fee of 170 pesos. Others had to pay a yearly fee. If you missed payments for three years, the body was disinterred (dug up). The mummified bodies were stored in a building here and in the 1900s began attracting tourists, and the cemetery created a museum and began charging an admission fee. A law prohibiting disinterment was passed in 1958, but the museum still exists today. Imagine being a gravedigger at THIS cemetery back in the day. This attraction is especially popular and gives new meaning to the national Mexican holiday for Day of the Dead. I visited here at Christmas 1986, and had no clue what was going on as all the signs were in Spanish since Gringo's rarely went down to Mexico in those days. It's weird and gruesome, but you should not miss this unique experience. Five stars for being so memorable. However, if the Mummies of Guanajuato are on your bucket list, you really should question your priorities. "Can't look away". LOL

Very neat and very cool displays. There is no English translation though. So have your google translate close by!

What a phenomenal! Very interesting and a tad creepy! Came with a group on a tour, it was quick but enough time to get through the museum.

Today was a beautiful day to enjoy the exhibition of the mummy's. The line was very long, however, they have little shops around and look around and maybe get a head start to buy souvenirs. I do recommend to get there around opening time. It took me an hour to get in. If you do get there later in the day, don't drive to the exhibitions parking lot. Leave the car down and walk up.

Dang, man. This place is just all sorts of amazing. You've seriously never seen anything like this, and hopefully you'll never see anything else like it again... ever. I'm serious, because if World War Z happens and the Zombie Apocalypse comes to fruition, and these guys start roaming the streets, then I'm just going to make myself a raft and sail to the plastic island. This place is equally terrifying and fascinating, with a lot of tragedy throw into the mix. Although I think that it would be great for children to come here, I'm also kind of thinking that this place *COULD* be the stuff of nightmares for them as well. It'd be easy to base an entire trip to Guanajuato around this museum, and I think that most people actually do so. It's something that you should see in your lifetime, if for no better reason than the fact that it's absolutely unique and something you won't see anywhere else.

First time here! Very pleasant! Many tourist from usa. Great experience. Totally recommend it, if you visit Guanajuato, is a must see.

Aw, man, I don't know. On the one hand it's cool to see mummified bodies. On the other, once you get in you realize that the museum is full of people whose families didn't pay the city's tax on their plots, and that you're basically looking at the ~100 year-old mummified remains of the city's former citizens. There's a whole section of bodies that died violent deaths (including one buried alive!), and an infant section, too. Yeah, that's not good. There were a couple of informational signs up in English. The whole walk-through of the museum probably took 20 minutes. We were out faster, probably, on account of us being a little disturbed by the whole thing.

I mean, they are cool and everything. Creepy. And, depending on what your plans are for your day in Guanajuato, it's probably worth the trip. BUT... if you have to wait in a long line and go way out of your way to stand in crowded rooms of mummies... they are cool but there is not much to take in beyond what you see in on of the photos other have posted. We breezed in and breezed out... we weren't there for more that 25 minutes. I could see from the stanchions (and heard from others) that sometimes the line is LOOONG.

This place is weird AF. It's one of those places you "must" visit as a tourist, plus let's face it--you probably have a morbid curiosity to see these mummies, right? If you are a tourist (like me) and staying in "downtown" Guanajuato, just go to any bus stop and ask the driver "momias?" to see if they are headed in the right direction for the museum. I think it was a 5 peso ride. It is quite a ways out of town, so I wouldn't recommend walking. The mummies are so creepy and weird. Some have their mouths open as if they were screaming--terrifiying! In fact, it's kind of hard to truly realize that they were real people like you and me. They look like extras from The Walking Dead. You may find yourself really wishing there were more explanations and stories about the lives of the people. The most interesting ones for our group were the person who was buried alive and the weird vampire with a stake in its heart. It doesn't take very long to get through the museum. I would recommend it as a curiosity activity, but if you skip it, you aren't really missing out too much.

The mummies are unbelievable. The entire museum isn't that large so it isn't a day trip. Best to visit with other stuff planned for the day

Somewhat of an eerie experience, but grateful to have been there. The insight on how the Mexican culture celebrates/toys with death was very intriguing to me. I was a bit disturbed by the mummified babies that were neatly placed next to their photos with their family (already deceased in the photo).

This was a very interesting museum which obviously has mummies. There are many of them take from the local cemetery. While this was really interesting, there was not a lot of signs or information in either Spanish or English. I would have preferred more of an explanation at the beginning of the different mummies we were seeing. It is worth a trip.

Very unique experience, I think it's a must if you come to Guanajuato. It is a very impactful place, the cost is well worth it. You can take your time on each room of display.

very interesting museum..not bilingual, if my husband wasn't there is wouldn't know anything. that's not cool for a museum or tourist place. be prepared u have to pay to take pictures. short walk threw.

Great experience! It's a must when in Guanajuato. We decided to have a guide narrate for us (for a donation of any amount) and so glad we did because the guide explained all the stories of the mummies. As stated in previous reviews, you'll see mummies of all ages and sizes. We were told it gets very busy and crowded, so we decided to arrive upon opening and so glad we did. Had the place to ourselves for the most part. They do allow you to take pictures without flash though. My youngest,10 yr old, really enjoyed it along with the two teenagers. Definitely recommend this place.