Regional Museum of Guanajuato

The Guanajuato Provincial Museum is one of the largest and most interesting historic buildings in Guanajuato. Built as a treasury, the Spanish and their loyalist allies used it as a fortress, and it was overrun by forces led by Miguel Hidalgo in the first defeat of the colonialists who had ruled Mexico for centuries. The building now serves as the headquarters of the Guanajuato Provincial Museum with displays relating to the battle as well as the execution of Hidalgo. In addition to containing more colonial-era artifacts, the museum also houses a large collection of pre-Columbian materials.