The museum opened in August 1986 and displays archeological material found on the site. It has one large gallery and the collection includes stone utensils such as grinding stones (metates) and the rolling pins (metlapiles) and pounding stones (tejolotes) used with them. The majority of the display space is dedicated to facsimiles of the murals found in the building situated in front of the museum.
The archeological site was discovered in 1975 when a farmer was widening a ditch on the mound, when he uncovered part of a mural. Of the site’s 28 buildings, archeologists have so far only excavated Building Number 1, which contains a set of mural paintings on the floors and walls. Layers of mural painting have been recovered from one of the first stages of construction, which the original Totonac people successively covered, replastered and repainted. Seven layers of initial painting were recovered from the first stage while 12 were recovered from the second.
A shrine was also excavated that is crowned with a ledge, while there are decorations on the inside and outside of the upper part and on some levels. The layers of painting represent various deities, priests and women. Women with pennants and an old woman are notable among the painting’s subjects.
Another series of murals shows the ball game ritual with ball players and in the center of the image there is a ball made from the rubber plant. A second picture shows the ceremonial court with a priest holding a knife and the head of a decapitated ball player, while the third has the image of the decapitated man over the ball with his face stripped to the bone and sprouting snakes like spurts of blood.
A small museum building was built in the 1980s. Xalapa Anthropology Museum was asked to provide a facsimile of some of the mural fragments, and an exhibition was set up. A few extra facsimiles were later added on top of bases, and ceramic and stone pieces from the site were added. Texts and a model of the cross-shaped temple were also included, adding to the interest of a visit.
