Gran Museo del Mundo Maya

The Gran Museo del Mundo Maya is the best place in the Yucatán to put the ruins in context, and it is worth a visit before or after Chichén Itzá and Uxmal. The museum opened in 2012 in a large contemporary building whose design draws on the ceiba, the sacred tree of the Maya, and its collection brings together more than a thousand pieces from archaeological sites across the peninsula: carved steles, bas-reliefs and stone sculpture, pottery, burial offerings, jade, gold and shell ornaments, textiles and religious objects from today's Maya communities, plus colonial engravings, books and documents. Four permanent halls cover archaeology, anthropology, ethnology, history and customs, and the exhibition runs from the ancient Maya to the living Maya of today, which sets it apart from site museums that stop at the conquest. The galleries are air-conditioned, which makes it an excellent midday refuge from the heat, and the building has ramps, lifts and adapted facilities. A cafe and gardens round out the visit.

Layout and highlights: the permanent exhibition is arranged in three sections often described as the Maya of today, the Maya of yesterday and the ancient Maya, covering society, worldview, art and science. Look for the carved monuments, the ceramic figures and the displays explaining the calendar, writing and astronomy that make sense of the pyramids you may have visited. Plan about two hours for a good visit. Temporary exhibitions and cultural events, including occasional evening programmes, are announced on the museum channels.

Practical details: the museum is in the north of the city on Calle 60 Norte in the Unidad Revolución area, a short taxi or rideshare ride from the centre, with free on-site parking. Opening hours are around nine in the morning to five in the afternoon, but sources disagree on the weekly closing day, with some listing Tuesdays and others Monday and Tuesday, so check before you go. Admission is modest by international standards, with lower prices for Mexican nationals and free entry for Yucatán residents on certain days. Updates and tickets are listed with the Yucatán tourism board and the museum itself.

Where it fits: visit on a day when you want to be out of the heat, ideally before your trip to the ruins so that the carvings and symbols mean more. It is excellent with older children who enjoy learning, and for anyone interested in the living Maya language and traditions. If you only have time for one museum in Mérida, this is the one, and it pairs well with a late lunch in the nearby neighbourhoods or an evening on Paseo de Montejo.