11 AMAZING Things to do in Merida with Kids

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Looking for the best things to do in Merida with kids? From interactive museums and splash parks to discovering cenotes and ruins, this is my guide to Merida!

We were walking past Parque de la Madre when we saw a sign for “2 for 1 mezcalitas”. The sun was shining, we had two sleeping kids, so we jumped at the chance for a bit of us time. We sat outside Mansión Mérida Hotel and sipped our cocktails just watching the world go by. You could hear the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages as they ran down the street, kids were playing in the park, and a guitarist was on the corner playing. It was glorious, and such a beautiful snapshot of the city. Merida is one of those places that doing nothing is doing something.

Mérida is often referred to as the cultural capital of the Yucatán, and it’s easy to see why. The city is full of history, from its grand plazas to its pastel-coloured mansions lining the streets. At the heart of it all is Plaza Grande, a lively square where locals gather in the evenings to chat and soak up the atmosphere.

Despite it being a big city of 920,000, it is surprisingly easy to navigate with everything centred around a few blocks. We walked everywhere – it’s a good way of getting your steps in for the day!

It’s also great for kids too, with plenty to keep them occupied. We stayed in Merida for 4 days and managed to explore all the city had to offer, as well as a couple of day trips to see the ancient Mayan city of Uxmal and swim in the magical cenotes (more on that later!)

One of the things about Mérida is it’s hot. It’s put-yourself-in-an-oven-and-turn-the-heat-up-to-200-degrees hot. It was up to 36 when we were there, and that was during one of the cooler times of the year. I’d recommend exploring early in the day and then retreating somewhere with air con or a pool in the afternoon. Then you can come out again in the evening. If you can get a hotel or apartment with a pool, then I would definitely recommend that.

If you’re planning on visiting this Mexican gem, here are all the best things to do in Merida with kids. I really hope this article helps you plan your trip here.

Quick overview

Map of Merida

To make planning easier, I’ve pinned every place from this guide on the map below. You’ll find the playground and Museo de la Luz at La Plancha, the museums around Plaza Grande, the best spots for free evening shows, and day trips to the cenotes and Uxmal. The pins are grouped by category, so you can see at a glance what’s close together. Tap any pin for opening times, prices and my top tips.

Splash around in the fountains at Gran Parque la Plancha

I’ll start off with what I think is the best kids activity in Merida: a playground.. This isn’t just any playground though. This is one of the best playgrounds you’ll ever go to. Located in Gran Parque la Plancha, there’s a giant playground in the sand that is brilliant for ages 2 to 12. It has everything – climbing frames, cargo netting, slides, swings – the whole shebang.

If you can drag your kids away from the playground, then right next to is it Fuente Interactiva La Plancha. This is a really fun splash park with fountains all in sync to music. Our son had a blast running through the jets and getting absolutely soaked (I may have got soaked too!). The splash park is particularly good on a hot day. It’s a great place to meet like-minded parents too or try your Spanish with the locals. This one is definitely kid approved.

Good to know: The park is free and open every day from 7am to 11pm. Pack swimwear, a towel and a change of clothes for the fountains. Museo de la Luz and the Museo de los Ferrocarriles, with its real locomotives, are both in the same park, so you can easily make a morning of it.

Visit Museo de la Luz

This museum is less cultural and more fun. Basically, it’s the type of museum that your kids will actually enjoy. If you’re looking at beating the heat, then I’d really recommend visiting Museo de la Luz. This museum is all about science, light, colour and interactive displays, so it’s brilliant for kids who like pressing buttons and seeing how things work.

Our son was fascinated by the hands-on exhibits and loved moving between the different rooms trying out all the experiments. It felt educational without ever being boring, which is pretty much the dream when travelling as a family. If you need somewhere with air con, lots of stimulation, and something a little different from the usual churches and plazas, this is perfect.

Good to know: It’s open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 1pm and again from 4pm to 8pm. That midday break catches people out, so plan it for the morning or late afternoon. Entry for international visitors is 100 pesos, and it’s free for everyone on Tuesdays.

A few words of Spanish make a real difference here, and my guide to Mexican etiquette covers the basics.

Walk around Plaza Grande

Plaza Grande really is the beating heart of Mérida, and we found ourselves coming back here again and again during our stay. Being right in the middle of the city, it’s impossible not to pass this place multiple times a day. There’s always something going on, whether it’s street performers, market stalls, live music, or just families sitting in the shade escaping the heat.

Our little one loved the giant Mérida letters and the famous sillas confidentes (those quirky white two-person chairs you see all over Yucatán). It’s one of those places where the kids can have a little wander, grab an ice cream, and just people-watch. We came here in the early evening most days and loved soaking up the local atmosphere.

See Catedral de San Ildefonso

Towering over Plaza Grande, the Catedral de San Ildefonso is impossible to miss. Even if your kids aren’t usually into churches, this one is worth popping into for a quick look simply because of how huge it feels inside. The cool air was a welcome relief after being out in the midday sun, and our son loved looking up at the enormous ceilings and echoing stone walls.

You don’t need to spend long here. We just quickly popped in for five minutes when there was a service going on, but it’s a cool stop in Merida. Right next door, the old Ateneo Peninsular now houses the Museo del Tren Maya. It shows off pieces archaeologists found while the new railway was being built, and entry is free for now. There are touchable replicas along the way, so it works well for little hands.

Visit Museo Casa Montejo

I would say this is more for the older kids as Museo Casa Montejo can be a little heavy on the history, but it’s definitely another place worth visiting. Museo Casa Montejo was completed in 1549, making it one of the oldest buildings in Merida. It shows what the city would’ve been like back then.

The building itself is stunning from the outside, with one of the most intricate façades in the city, but stepping inside gives you a real sense of what old Mérida life might have looked like. We wandered through the grand rooms imagining who might have lived there hundreds of years ago. It’s not massive, so if your kids don’t enjoy it, you can always bail. Tickets are free too which is a bonus.

Good to know: Entry is free. It’s closed on Mondays and shuts early on Sundays. On Wednesday evenings from 8.30pm, the city projects Diálogos del Conquistador onto the façade, and you can watch it for free from the street.

Marvel at the Palacio de la Música

When we first walked past the Palacio de la Música, we knew it was a museum we had to explore. The outside looks like a giant sheet of music which is pretty cool. Even if you’re not a huge music fan, the museum is really interactive and celebrates the history of Mexican music in such a fun way. There are listening stations, instruments, and loads of colourful displays, so it feels much more engaging than a traditional museum.

The kids loved the sounds and buttons, while we really enjoyed learning more about the cultural side of Mexico beyond the beaches and ruins. It’s also wonderfully cool inside, which made it a very welcome midday stop. For families, it’s a really easy museum win because there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained.

Good to know: The interactive museum opens Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. General admission is 200 pesos.

Eat at the Museo de la Gastronomía Yucateca

Just around the corner from Plaza Grande is the Museo de la Gastronomía Yucateca. This is one of the top-rated restaurants in the city and the food is delicious on every level. It’s a really cool insight into the food of the Yucatán, which is very different to other parts of Mexico.

We had the Yucatan speciality plate, which was made up of punachos and salbutes (two dishes you’ll find all over Merida). We also had the Valladolid sausage which was incredible. It was probably one of the best things we ate when travelling around the Yucatan!

Enjoy some quiet time in the evening

One of my favourite things about Mérida with kids was how magical the evenings felt. Once the fierce daytime heat finally faded, the whole city seemed to come alive. There was a little church and square just around the corner from where we stayed, so most evenings we would wander over there and soak up the vibe of the city. This usually involved getting a paleta (ice lolly), sitting on a bench and watching the kiddo run around.

There’s often music in the squares, families out chatting, and food stalls selling marquesitas, which became a bit of an evening treat for us all. It felt so relaxed and safe, and honestly some of our best memories came from doing very little at all.

Catch a free show after dark

Most of our evenings were spent in the little square near our apartment, but Mérida also puts on a free show almost every night of the week. The city calls the programme Semana Meridana, and it’s a great way to fill an evening once the heat drops.

• Monday: Vaquería, with traditional jarana dancing under the Palacio Municipal on Plaza Grande at 9pm
• Wednesday: Diálogos del Conquistador, projected onto the front of Casa Montejo from 8.30pm
• Friday: Pok Ta Pok, a re-enactment of the ancient Maya ball game, on Plaza Grande at 8pm
• Saturday: Noche Mexicana, with music and dancing from all over Mexico, at the end of Paseo de Montejo
• Sunday: Paseo de Montejo closes to cars in the morning for the Biciruta (you can hire bikes along the route), and Plaza Grande fills with stalls and music for Mérida en Domingo

From Thursday to Sunday there’s also La Peni in Parque de la Paz. Animated shows are projected onto the old prison building, and there’s usually something interactive for kids to play with. Shows can be cancelled if it rains, so check Visit Mérida for the latest times before you head out

Discover the cenotes at Santa Barbara

Another way to beat the heat is to escape it entirely by heading to the cenotes around Homún. This was one of our favourite days of the whole trip. There are loads of cenotes in this area which is an hour’s drive away, and they’re all slightly different. Some are open like natural swimming pools, while others are cave-like with stalactites hanging from the ceiling. You can see why the Maya people revered cenotes – it really is like stepping into another world.

We visited Cenote Santa Barbara. This place is like a cenote theme park with four different cenotes to swim in, a splash park for the kids and a very good restaurant too. After doing A LOT of research we wanted a place that was safe for swimming and that would entertain our son for hours. We actually stayed about 4 hours in the end, so this was such a fantastic day out. I really can’t recommend this place enough, it is perfect for the whole family.

Good to know: Every package includes a life jacket and transport between the cenotes, either by bike, minibus or the little Santa Bárbara Express. Prices depend on which option you choose, so message them on WhatsApp before you go. Don’t put on sunscreen or insect repellent before swimming, as it pollutes the water. If you want loads of other amazing advice and tips, then check out this guide to Santa Barbara.

Explore the pyramids of Uxmal

Another amazing day trip from Mérida is heading out to Uxmal, one of the most impressive Mayan archaeological sites in the region. About an hour’s drive from the city, this place feels a lot quieter and less touristy than Chichén Itzá, which makes exploring it with kids so much easier.

The standout structure here is the Pyramid of the Magician, a towering and slightly mysterious pyramid with rounded edges that looks unlike anything else in Mexico. We spent a good couple of hours wandering around the ruins, climbing up viewpoints, and trying to imagine what life was like here over 1,000 years ago. There’s very little shade though, so go early in the morning, take plenty of water, and don’t forget hats and sunscreen. You can thank me for that advice later!

If you’re visiting Uxmal, you can check out my complete guide to these ruins HERE.

My 4-day itinerary for Merida

Here is a quick overview of how we spent our time in Merida. Hopefully you can use this as a little Merida itinerary. This ticks off all the major sights and attractions in the city.

What’s new in Mérida for 2027

There’s plenty happening in and around Mérida in 2027. This section covers the big festivals worth timing a trip around, plus two new museums that opened in 2026 and make easy day trips with kids.

• Mérida Fest (5 to 24 January) – Mérida turns 485 on 6 January 2027, and the city celebrates with three weeks of mostly free concerts, performances and street parties. It all starts with the Alborada, when local trovadores serenade the city at dawn.
• Carnaval de Mérida (3 to 10 February) – Carnival is Mérida’s biggest party of the year, with parades, costumes and concerts. The royal court even has its own children’s king and queen, so it’s a fun one to time a trip around if your kids love dressing up.
• A new museum at Dzibilchaltún – A new site museum opened at Dzibilchaltún in July 2026, around half an hour’s drive north of Mérida. It holds around 300 Maya pieces, plus a diorama of the ancient settlement that stood where Mérida is today and a room on Maya astronomy. Entry is included in the 105 peso site ticket, and it’s open Tuesday to Sunday.
• The Museo Arqueológico del Puuc at Kabah – If you’re heading to Uxmal, Kabah is about 20 minutes further south along the Ruta Puuc. Its new museum opened in July 2026 and tells the story of the whole Puuc region, Uxmal included. It’s free for now, which makes it an easy add-on to your Uxmal day.

Where to stay in Merida

One of the things I think we do really well is find the best accommodation for families. We only ever recommend places we’ve stayed, and in Mérida we had a two-bed apartment in the Centro, with an en-suite for each bedroom. The kitchen and dining area was open plan, and it backed onto a little patio with a pool. Trust me, having a pool when it was 36 degrees outside was needed. Most afternoons we would retreat here and laze by the pool for a few hours.

Our apartment isn’t available to book any more, but it’s easy to find something similar. Look for an apartment in the Centro with a pool and air con in every bedroom. You’ll be able to walk to Plaza Grande, and you’ll have somewhere cool to escape to in the afternoon. This is the closest I can find to where we stayed – TIKUL EN Merida.

What I thought of Merida

Overall, Mérida was one of our favourite stops of the whole Yucatán trip. It’s bigger, busier and definitely hotter than some of the coastal towns, but that’s all part of its charm. From splashing around in the fountains at La Plancha to wandering through ancient ruins at Uxmal, there’s such a brilliant mix of culture, adventure and family-friendly fun here.

If you’re travelling around the Yucatan, then make sure you check out my comprehensive 3 week itinerary. This guide is packed full of all the best things to see and do in the Yucatan. It’s perfect for families too!

Campeche is around two hours away on the Tren Maya, and my guide to things to do in Campeche with kids covers everything from the fountain show to Playa Bonita.