🧵 Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress – A treasure of Guatemala's textile heritage

Juan Francisco Rodas
Jan 7
2 min read

Museo Ixchel Descrubriendo los Textiles Mayas

📍 Historia y contexto

The Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress is a museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and dissemination of the rich textile tradition of Guatemala's indigenous communities. Founded in 1973 as a non-profit institution, it began to grow thanks to donations from local collectors, building one of the most comprehensive collections of traditional Mayan clothing.

In November 1993, its own building was inaugurated on the campus of Francisco Marroquín University, becoming the first museum in Guatemala specifically designed to conserve and exhibit textiles according to technical conservation criteria. The architectural design reflects textile patterns and symbolism, connecting the space with the essence of what it houses.

The museum has been recognized both nationally and internationally: it received the Queen Sofia International Prize for Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (2007) and the Order of the Quetzal, one of Guatemala's highest decorations, among other awards.

🧠 Why visit it?

This museum is a must-see for tourists interested in Guatemalan culture because:

It offers a deep dive into Mayan identity through textiles, one of its most valuable artistic expressions.
It presents pieces that tell stories of communities, rituals, and ancestral traditions.
It is ideal for travelers who want to better understand how clothing reflects history, worldview, and cultural resilience.
It combines art, design, education, and conservation in a single, captivating cultural space.

If you are planning a trip to Guatemala City, including the Ixchel Museum in your itinerary will enrich you with a unique perspective on the living traditions and textile art that have defined the country's cultural identity for centuries.

🧶 Collection and exhibitions

The Ixchel Museum's collection comprises nearly 8,000 pieces from over 180 Indigenous communities in Guatemala, including huipiles, cortes (skirts), sashes, shirts, shawls, and other traditional textiles representative of different ethnic groups and regions.

These pieces date from the 19th century to the present, allowing visitors to appreciate the evolution of techniques, designs, materials, and colors that communicate identity, history, and cultural significance.

In addition to the permanent collection, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions and educational activities that help visitors better understand the Mayan worldview and textile traditions.

🎓 Visitor/Tourist Experience

The museum offers a variety of tourist and educational experiences:

🎟️ Guided tours: available in Spanish and English (reservations required and a minimum donation is requested). These tours explore the galleries and explain the historical, social, and technical context of the textiles.

📽️ Audiovisual presentations on Mayan clothing.
🧵 Workshops and activities for children and schools.
📚 A library specializing in textile history and related cultural studies.
🛍️ A museum shop featuring handcrafted products and designs by Guatemalan designers.