Beautiful building from 1800's still in use. Open to public. Free admission. Outstanding murals…read more In the Grand Plaza. A must see

The Palacio de Gobierno is located on Merida's Plaza Grande, and I had heard it was worth a visit…read more It's true! The Palacio is a government building that houses some executive government offices and a tourist office. It was built in 1892, so the architecture is impressive. But that's not why you're there. You're there for the murals! So say buenos dias to the guards stationed out front and wander in. The large (and incredible!) murals on the main staircase and under the arcades of the inner courtyard were created between 1971 and 1974 by Fernando Castro Pacheco, a local artist and a student of Diego Rivera. Beginning in the staircase, the paintings tell the story of the ancient Maya, the Spanish conquest, the Mayan rebellion and Mexican independence, one after the other. In the "Salón de la Historia de Yucatán" upstairs, there are more large oil paintings by the artist dating from 1978, which offer a fascinating journey through the history of the Yucatán Peninsula. Free to visit, the Palacio is a must see when you're in Merida. Those murals are spectacular and are a great way to orient yourself in Yucatecan history at the beginning of a trip; I'm so glad we visited on our first day when we arrived last week!