The Mystery Behind Mexicos Weirdest Museum

In the former mining town of Guanajuato lies Mexico’s weirdest museum, which houses a collection of mummified remains from the local cemetery.

Top tourist attraction

The Mummy Museum draws thousands of visitors per year, providing a further attraction to those who visit the city for its beautiful architecture and relaxed atmosphere. You might be wondering why there is a display of gory human remains, and while the museum isn’t for everyone, there is an intriguing story as to how the exhibits came to be.

Deceased residents were buried in the Saint Paola cemetery next to the museum, where each crypt is subject to a burial tax. If the family can’t pay the fee, the remains are dug up.

A mummy at Museo de las Momias, Guanajuato

In 1865, workers at the cemetery extracted the first mummified body to much confusion. More and more mummified remains were dug up as the years went on, and scientists later worked out why. The secret lies in the method of burial, which involves sealing the bodies in airtight crypts instead of burying them in the ground.

The lack of oxygen means that the bodies dry out slowly instead of rotting, leaving them preserved as mummies. The extremely dry soil in the area helps to preserve the bodies.

A variety of mummies on display

In 1958, local authorities decided to stop collecting the burial tax, but by then there were so many mummies that they decided to make a museum. Over the years, it has grown in reputation, attracting visitors from across Mexico and around the world. It has even featured in films such as the 1970 B movie Santo Versus the Mummies of Guanajuato, which tells the story of a lucha libre wrestler fighting against the mummies.

Visitors are treated to the sight of mummies so well preserved that their eyebrows and hair are still visible, along with the clothes that they were wearing. Many died in their sleep, but others were variously stabbed to death, drowned, or buried alive. All of the mummies have tortured expressions on their faces due to the fact that the jaw drops after death. The museum is also home to the smallest mummy in the world: an embryo buried along with its mother.

A mummified baby at the Mummy Museum, Guanajuato

So, there we have it: dry soil, airtight crypts, and a grave tax make for an intriguing, if not slightly terrifying, tourist attraction in Mexico.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.