Great Temple Museum

Great Temple Museum (Museo Templo Mayor) is at avs. Guatemala and Seminario, within the Great Temple. The museum provides a valuable historical perspective, especially for those unfamiliar with Aztec lore. On display are more than 7,000 items recovered from the site and locations as far away as the present-day states of Veracruz and Guerrero. There are eight exhibit rooms (salas) on three levels, organized around a central open space dominated by the original discovery, the enormous stone carving depicting the goddess Coyolxauhqui, beheaded and limbless. This impressive piece is best viewed from the vantage point of the top floor.

Also noteworthy are life-size, terra-cotta eagle warrior statues and stone masks that were offered as tributes by subjugated tribes. Excavations at the site are ongoing and continue to unearth major artifacts; more recent discoveries include a stone carving of Tlaltecuhtli, the goddess of earth fertility (displayed on the first floor) and a ceremonial platform dating from the late 15th century.