Walking into the Museum of the Mummies of Guanajuato isn't like walking into the British Museum. There are no gold-leafed sarcophagi. No elaborate rituals for the afterlife are depicted on the walls. Honestly, it’s just a long, dimly lit hallway filled with people who used to live in the neighborhood. They’re standing behind glass, wearing the clothes they were buried in—sometimes just their socks or a tattered suit jacket. It’s visceral. It’s jarring. It’s undeniably real.
Most people expect something spooky, like a haunted house at a carnival. But the reality is much more grounded in local history and, frankly, a bit of old-school municipal bureaucracy. These people weren't kings or high priests. They were bakers, mothers, and even a French doctor. They became world-famous because their families couldn't afford to pay a "perpetual" grave tax. It sounds harsh because it was. If you didn't pay the rent on your plot in the Santa Paula Cemetery, the city dug you up to make room for someone who could.
The Weird Science of the Soil
So, why aren't they skeletons? That’s the big question everyone asks the second they see the parchment-like skin still clinging to the bone. It wasn't intentional mummification. There were no chemicals involved, no secret Aztec recipes, and certainly no magic. The mummification happened naturally because of the specific environmental conditions of the Guanajuato highlands.
The soil in this part of Mexico is incredibly rich in minerals. Combine that with the dry, arid climate and the way the bodies were stored in sealed, above-ground stone crypts, and you get a natural dehydrator. The moisture was sucked out of the bodies so fast that bacteria couldn't finish the job of decomposition. Basically, they jerky-fied.
The first body was "discovered" back in 1865. His name was Remigio Leroy, a French doctor. When the cemetery workers pulled him out because his grave fees hadn't been paid in years, they were shocked to find him perfectly preserved. Instead of reburying him, they stuck him in a warehouse. Word got out. People started paying the cemetery workers a few pesos under the table to sneak a peek at the "mummies." By the early 20th century, it became an official attraction. It’s a bit morbid to think about, but the Museum of the Mummies of Guanajuato essentially started as a side-hustle for gravediggers.
📖 Related: Where to Actually See a Space Shuttle: Your Air and Space Museum Reality Check
Faces Frozen in Time
One of the most unsettling things for visitors is the expression on the faces. Many of the mummies have their mouths wide open, looking as if they are screaming in agony. This led to a mountain of local legends about people being buried alive. There’s one famous mummy, Ignacia Aguilar, who was reportedly found with scratch marks on her forehead and her arms over her face. People in the 1800s were terrified of catalepsy—a condition where your heart rate drops so low you look dead.
Experts like Gerald Conlogue and Ronald Beckett, who have studied these remains using modern imaging, have a much more boring—but scientifically sound—explanation. As the skin and muscles dehydrate and shrink, they pull back. This often forces the jaw to drop open and the limbs to shift. It's a post-mortem physical reaction, not a final scream. Still, standing in front of them, it’s hard not to feel a bit of a chill.
Cultural Tension and Ethics
We have to talk about the controversy. This isn't just a tourist site; it’s a flashpoint for ethical debates in Mexico. In recent years, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has been at odds with the local Guanajuato government. The INAH experts are worried. They’ve pointed out that some of the mummies have developed fungal growths because they aren't being kept in climate-controlled environments.
There’s also the "Missing Mummy" drama. A few years ago, there were claims that some of the bodies had gone missing during traveling exhibitions. While the local government denied it, the paperwork was, let’s say, less than perfect. It highlights a massive shift in how we view human remains. Are they historical artifacts? Or are they someone’s great-great-grandfather who deserves a quiet hole in the ground?
👉 See also: Hotel Gigi San Diego: Why This New Gaslamp Spot Is Actually Different
Guanajuato locals generally view the mummies with a mix of pride and casualness. Death in Mexico isn't a taboo subject. It’s celebrated during Dia de los Muertos. But the commercialization of these specific bodies—selling sugar skulls shaped like the mummies right outside the exit—can feel a bit heavy-handed to outsiders.
What You’ll Actually See Inside
The museum is divided into several rooms, and it’s not a huge place. You can walk through the whole thing in about 45 minutes, but you’ll probably want to linger.
- The Infants: There’s a section dedicated to "Little Angels." These are babies buried in ornate lace dresses, a tradition rooted in the belief that children who die go straight to heaven. Seeing a mummified infant in a tiny chair is heavy. It’s the hardest part of the museum for most.
- The Murdered: There are mummies with visible wounds, including one man who appears to have been stabbed. The preservation is so good you can see the trauma in the skin.
- The World’s Smallest Mummy: This is a fetus, found with its mother who died during a cholera outbreak. It’s tiny. Smaller than a loaf of bread. It’s kept under a magnifying glass now so you can see the details.
The lighting is low. The air feels a bit still. And honestly, the smell is just... dusty. It doesn't smell like a morgue; it smells like an old library that hasn't been aired out in a century.
Navigating the Visit
If you’re going, don’t just take a taxi to the door and leave. The museum is located right next to the Panteón de Santa Paula. Walk through the cemetery first. It gives you the context you need. You’ll see the stacked crypts, some empty, some with fresh flowers. It helps you understand that this isn't a fictional set—it’s a functioning graveyard.
✨ Don't miss: Wingate by Wyndham Columbia: What Most People Get Wrong
The Museum of the Mummies of Guanajuato is located on a hill. It’s a steep walk. If you’re not used to the altitude of Guanajuato (which is over 6,000 feet), take a bus or a cab. Your lungs will thank you. Also, try to go on a weekday morning. By 2:00 PM on a Saturday, the line wraps around the building and the narrow hallways inside get cramped. It’s hard to have a "memento mori" moment when someone is accidentally bumping into you with a backpack.
The Reality of Conservation
Guanajuato’s mummies are fragile. Unlike Egyptian mummies wrapped in linen and resins, these are "naked" to the environment. The skin is brittle. If the humidity in the room spikes because 50 people are breathing in a small glass enclosure, the bodies start to degrade.
There has been a lot of talk about moving them to a more modern facility. Some politicians want a shiny new museum with better gift shops. Historians want a laboratory-grade environment. It’s a tug-of-war between tourism revenue and biological preservation. For now, they remain in their somewhat cramped, traditional home.
Actionable Tips for the Ethical Traveler
If you decide to visit, do it with some intentionality. It's easy to treat it like a freak show, but these were members of the Guanajuato community.
- Skip the "Funny" Photos: It’s tempting to pose like the mummies for a laugh. Don't. It’s a cemetery at the end of the day. Respect the fact that these families couldn't protect their ancestors' rest.
- Read the Plaques: The stories of the individuals, like the woman who was a known local "witch" or the French doctor, add a layer of humanity that moves the experience from "creepy" to "historical."
- Support Local Artisans: The market outside the museum is full of kitsch, but there are also genuine local crafters. If you’re going to buy a souvenir, look for the handmade stuff rather than the plastic junk.
- Check the Official Site: Hours can change, especially during festivals like the Cervantino. Check the Guanajuato municipal website for the most current pricing. It’s usually around 90-100 pesos, with extra fees if you want to take photos.
The Museum of the Mummies of Guanajuato is a reminder that history isn't always found in books. Sometimes, it’s found in the soil, in the dry air, and in the faces of the people who built the city. It’s a place that forces you to look at death without the usual filters we use to make it comfortable. You leave feeling a bit more fragile, a bit more temporary, and a lot more curious about the stories we leave behind.
To get the most out of your trip, pair your visit with a stop at the Alhóndiga de Granaditas. It provides the broader historical context of Guanajuato’s role in the Mexican War of Independence, explaining why the city was so wealthy—and so crowded—to begin with. Understanding the silver mining boom helps explain the density of the Santa Paula Cemetery and the eventual "need" for the grave tax that gave us this museum in the first place.