Nacional Museum of Mayan Art: Archeology and Ethnology — Attraction in Guatemala City

Great museum on the Mayan (and earlier) archaeology of Guatemala. The exhibits are world class and arranged in chronological order. Most of the interpretative signage has an English translation in addition to the Spanish text. There are lots of small portable items dominated by ceramic vessels as well as jade artifacts and obsidian blades and blade cores. A wooden temple lintel from Tikal is present. The scaled model of Tikal is quite helpful for understanding the immense scale of that site. The museum’s open courtyard has Mayan stelae arranged around the outside edge. A number of the stelae are from major sites that remain largely inaccessible to tourists. They were brought to the museum for protection by the Institute of Anthropology and History (IDAEH). For example IDEAH retrieved 19 stelae from Naranjo in 1972-1973. This acquisition was fortuitous because Naranjo underwent systematic looting in the 1990s. Enjoyed seeing the reconstructed carved stone bench-like throne from Piedras Negras. The Guatemala National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is excellent and highly recommended. Whether your stay for an hour or all day this museum is a must see attraction in Guatemala City. One tip - we took a taxi back and forth between the...

Great pieces!!!! No doubt on this!

NOT MUCH INFORMATION Unfortunately not a lot of information is given on the dates or details of the artifacts. Only place and approximate time period.

IT’S A LOT! Way too much for just an afternoon — but the museum is closed on weekends from 12 noon to 1.30 PM, so we tried to quickly go through everything ;-)

NOT WHERE THEY BELONG TO… In general — in my opinion — it is a pity that all these great pieces of history are gathered in one place and the archeological sites where they were found or where the steleas once stood, are left “empty”. It would feel good to see them in those places where they actually belong to.

ENTRANCE FEE Finally a remake on the entrance fee: although google states it is FREE, it is not. It is absolutely worth the 60 Quetzales that foreigners have to pay to enter. But it would be nice to know it upfront! Also because you can only...

An absolute highlight in Guatemala.

The museum has amazing collections that not only showcase the rich history of the country but also present a positive outlook on the contemporary and future.

The staff are very hospitable. One even tried to explain important exhibits to me using Google Translate, despite the fact that I don’t speak Spanish and he doesn’t speak English. This shows how much the staff love and enjoy their work. I could feel their confidence and pride in their culture and history.

Unfortunately, it seems that not many tourists visit here. I arrived around 9:30 AM and we were the first visitors of the day. But if you skip this place, you’re truly missing out.

In short, a must-visit. The facility and the vision behind the museum reveal something far beyond what the current situation in the country...