Museo Popol Vuh (Popol Vuh Museum), Guatemala City

The Popol Vuh Museum, located on the campus of Francisco Marroquín University, is a destination for those intrigued by the rich legacy of the Maya civilization. Named after the sacred Kʼicheʼ Maya text "Book of Counsel" (its original name being Popol Vuh), the museum is renowned for housing one of the world’s most extensive collections of Maya art-spanning pre-Columbian and colonial periods. Founded in the mid-1970s with donations from Jorge and Ella Castillo, it continues today as a private institution committed to research, preservation, and education.

Exhibits are organized chronologically, beginning with Paleo-Indian artifacts like a rare Clovis point from around 9,000 BC and continuing through the Preclassic, Classic, and Postclassic periods-all the way to colonial-era pieces. Highlights include exquisitely preserved funerary urns, polychrome ceramic vases, intricate stone sculptures, and even pottery illustrated with Maya mythology-some echoing stories from the "Book of Counsel" text itself. The collection also features models of Tikal pyramids and a replica of one of the few surviving Maya codices.

The museum building, inaugurated in 1975 and later moved to its current site, offers a modern, accessible layout. Guided tours and educational programs, including lectures and archaeology workshops, deepen appreciation for Maya metaphysical concepts and historical lifeways. The museum also issues the prestigious “Order of the Mat” award annually to individuals who have advanced the study and preservation of Guatemala’s cultural heritage.