The Museum opened its doors as the Artistic Treasury of the Basilica of Guadalupe on October 12, 1941, through the initiative of Monsignor Feliciano Cortés y Mora, twentieth Abbot of Guadalupe. At the time, the Museum occupied four rooms, had limited hours and was organized somewhat like an antique shop.

          Since its creation, the Museum’s objective has been to bring together the many different works that have been collected over the centuries relating to the worship of the Virgin of Guadalupe, making them available to the public, and preserving the artistic heritage that has arisen around this figure.

           Beginning in 1971, the Museum underwent significant changes in how its space was organized, as modern museographic techniques were incorporated into its exhibits. The words Artistic Treasury were eliminated, leaving the name as Guadalupan Museum, at least for the years 1971 and 1972.

            But it housed not only objects having to do with the worship of the Virgin of Tepeyac, so because of the thematic variety of its collections, it was finally baptized the Museum of the Basilica of Guadalupe.

Artistic Treasury of the Basilica of Guadalupe