Natural History Museum

The museum features six permanent galleries: Sala del Universo (Universe Hall). In it, visitors learn about the known types of galaxies and our solar system through a series of images, and a scale model of the Moon shows its seas and craters. Sala de la Era Paleozoica (Paleozoic Era Hall): here graphics illustrate the evolution of the Earth's surface according to plate tectonics theory; another area presents images of the evolution of the first beings that inhabited our planet, showing aspects of prehistoric life; a volcanic diorama and a wall evoke characteristic features of the era, and a central display case holds a small collection of fossils, rocks and minerals mostly from the UNAM Geology Museum. Sala de la Era Mesozoica (Mesozoic Era Hall): features dinosaur models and explanatory labels; information about the Chicxulub crater—the site where the asteroid that caused the dinosaurs extinction is believed to have struck Earth—can also be found. The main attraction is a Tyrannosaurus Rex model just over 3 meters tall and 4 meters long, built in 1992 with a pneumatic system and programmed movements. This hall shows various aspects of dinosaur life: types, evolution, care, defense and attack mechanisms, among others. There is also a plant panel showing how plants evolved toward the end of this era to produce the first flowers and seed-bearing fruits. Other sections show animals such as land, flying and marine reptiles, as well as mammals that coexisted with the dinosaurs. Sala de la Era Cenozoica (Cenozoic Era Hall): Also known as the Era of Mammals, this space uses paintings to display some mammals that evolved and appeared during this era; it also presents theories about the origin of humans and their evolution through a series of graphics. In a display case you can see models of the first hominids and a small collection of skulls of mammals and reptiles, a shark jaw, a mammoth rib, a megalodon tooth and a whale vertebra. Sala de la Selva baja Subcaducifolia (Subcaducifolia Lowland Jungle Hall): Focusing especially on the Cuxtal Municipal Ecological Reserve south of Mérida, it presents a sample of subcaducifolia lowland jungle, characteristic of the area. It includes a sample of animals typical of this jungle, such as hocofaisán, anteater, armadillo, tigrillo, various snake species, and numerous birds. Sala de los Arrecifes (Reefs Hall): The Reefs Hall, dedicated to the area known as Arrecife Alacranes, located 130 km north of Progreso Port, Yucatán. In this hall, a shipwreck is depicted; visitors can observe the marine life typical of a reef. It features various fish such as barracuda, a school of drumfish, angelfish, triggerfish and butterflyfish; there are also cat sharks, several species of echinoderms such as starfish, and sea snails.

The Temporary Exhibition Hall hosts exhibitions from various research institutions, universities, ecological groups and private collections related to natural history, the protection and management of natural resources, and research on flora and fauna. The current exhibition is a series of photographs of birds from the Yucatán Peninsula.