Looking for one of the best activities to answer the question of what to do in Merida, Mexico with kids? Look no further than the Palacio de la Musica: a highly interactive and engaging Mexican music history museum, located right near the vibrant Centro area! Browse these photos I took inside, and check out what brought us inside its walls.
The day we found the music museum, I had just arrived in Merida, Mexico to spend a week with my dear friend and her daughter. We still had a full day before our Spanish immersion classes began, so we set out to explore the city.
The four of us wandered the delightful Centro area, ate samplings of all the food in Merida we would get our hands on (mmm, watermelon sorbet), then paused, panting, in the hot sun to figure out our next activity. Preferably an indoor, air-conditioned activity…
Luckily, I’d recently purchased the Kindle version (affiliate link coming) of a fellow blogger’s highly helpful “Yucatan With Kids” guidebook, and I flipped it open on my phone. My eyes landed upon the words I was looking for: “Try the Palacio de la Musica for a hands-on museum where kids can press ALL THE BUTTONS.”
Buttons?! My son loved buttons! And museums?! I’m obsessed with cool, fun museums around the world! Off we went to find the building.
After a few wrong turns, plus some distractions from gazing at the local colorful houses, we found the museum. Not only was the Palacio de la Musica perfectly air-conditioned, but it’s also underground, so it’s even cooler — literally.
Speaking of cool, you can see from my photos here that the exhibits (and the buttons that go with them) are fully hands-on and interactive. Kids and adults alike can learn about — and listen to — the music of Mexico and the Yucatan from ancient times, up to today. My personal favorite exhibit was a giant screen that teaches you traditional Mexican dance moves while you follow along.
In the photo above, you can see another wonderful aspect of the Palacio de la Musica in Merida: it’s also a living music instruction and performance space! During the hours we spent there, we observed several live music classes in the glassed-in studio you can see above. I adore that the space honors ancient music, professional virtuosos, and modern kids’ beginner lessons — all at the same time.
So what do you think: Does the Palacio de la Musica in Merida, Mexico seem like a place you’d like to visit? Have you been there already? Have you seen other music museums around the world that you love and recommend? Do share!
Want more from our Mexico trip? Check out this surprising sailboats in Mexico episode…
The author, Lillie Marshall, is a 6-foot-tall National Board Certified Teacher of English, fitness fan, and mother of two who has been a public school educator since 2003. She launched Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog in 2009, and over 4.2 million readers have now visited this site. Lillie also runs TeachingTraveling.com and DrawingsOf.com. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media!