From January 1, 2026, entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites in Mexico could more than double. The National Museum of Anthropology, Teotihuacan, Palenque and Chichen Itza will become more expensive: the base price of admission to Category I tourist sites will be 209 pesos, up from 100 pesos today.
Mexico's cultural heritage sites are divided into three categories. Category I contains the most visited sites, such as the National Museum of Anthropology and Chichen Itza. Category II covers common but less crowded sites, such as Palenque or Uxmal. Category III — these are small museums and archaeological zones of regional importance. Under the new system, category II tickets will rise in price from 80 to 156 pesos, and category III tickets — from 75 to 143 pesos. Special «preferential» the rate of 104 pesos will be set for properties along the Mayan Train route, including Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Dzibilchaltun, without any discounts.
In addition to the base rates, many sites charge local entry fees, which makes the actual admission price higher than the official prices. The tariff for visiting after closing (in particular, light and sound shows) increases significantly — to P731, up from P355 in 2025, with no discount on evening tickets.
The plan also includes discounts for Mexican citizens and foreign residents: 50% for category I and 45% for categories II and III. However, it is not yet clear how these discounts will be applied.
According to INAH, more than 3.7 million people visited the National Museum of Anthropology in 2024, 89% of whom — Mexicans. The archaeological sites of Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan additionally attract millions of travelers every year. The Ministry of Tourism reports that from January to July 2025, 6.8 million people visited Mexico's museums.
Previously, children, students, pensioners and people with limited permits were exempt from entry fees, and Mexicans could visit museums without paying on Sundays. The continuation of these benefits for 2026 has not yet been specified.
Experts warn that sharp rises in tariffs have the potential to reduce the number of domestic visits and make visiting cultural sites a luxury for ordinary residents.
The initiative to increase fees is included in the 2026 Economic Package and is justified by the need to fund maintenance, research and promotion of cultural heritage, while compensating for cuts in the cultural sector. In this context, museums and archaeological sites become an additional source of income.