Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato

Guanajuato's arid soil and sealed crypts preserved corpses exhumed from the Panteón Santa Paula beginning in the 1860s, creating accidental mummies that became a macabre traveling exhibit and, by 1969, a permanent museum. The collection includes infants, cholera victims, and one famous figure said to have been buried alive.

Visitors describe an unmistakable atmosphere in the dim galleries — part forensic curiosity, part folk religion. The museum is a major Day of the Dead destination, and locals treat the mummies as ancestors deserving respect rather than props.

Open daily with timed entry recommended on holidays; photography rules vary by gallery and children may find some displays disturbing.