This week, the Meteorite Museum celebrated its first year since its extended opening at the former Parque de la Paz. Currently, the site has become the second most visited attraction in the city for both national and international tourists, second only to the El Corchito Nature Reserve.
Alexander Chan Carrillo, the museum’s director, stated that in its 12 months of operation, they have welcomed a total of 129,329 visitors, generating an economic impact of approximately 20 million pesos. Additionally, there has been an increase in visitors during vacation periods, reaching at least a 40 percent rise.
In the remaining days of the summer vacation period in 2023, the director mentioned that they expect at least 30,000 people. “The real peak season is just beginning. Currently, we receive a flow of 300 to 400 people per week from Monday to Friday, while on Saturdays and Sundays, there can be up to 900 visitors, those are our busiest days,” he said.
Chan Carrillo added that surprisingly, 55 percent of their visitors come from other states in Mexico, 25 percent are from Yucatan, and the remaining percentage consists of international tourists, with Europeans standing out as they are attracted to the history of the meteorite that fell in Chicxulub over 60 million years ago.
“The videomapping is what visitors like the most, especially because it demonstrates step by step how the geological era was formed. They can also admire the ‘minute zero,’ as it has been called, the instant when the catastrophe with the meteorite landing in Chicxulub took place,” he added.
To celebrate the anniversary, at the beginning of the week, Mauricio Díaz Montalvo, head of the Patronato de Cultura, attended the port to kick off a series of activities, including a mascot race, the creation of dinosaurs with ecological materials, among others.
“The importance of the museum lies in disseminating knowledge of the prehistoric era through technological tools. I would dare say that more than just a tourist attraction, it is a place for cultural enrichment,” concluded the interviewee.
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