Chichen Itza’s introductory gallery is part of a visitor center which was designed by the architect Teodoro González de León in 1985, and opened to the public in 1987. Archeologists working for the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) rescued some ancient dwelling spaces during the construction of the building.

The present introductory gallery used to be the Site Museum. It contained various archeological finds from the excavations that had been carried out at Chichen Itza for more than a century. The collections from the former Site Museum have now been distributed among other holdings in Merida, Mexico City and other places. Some of the items in the collection are also on loan to national and international exhibitions.

Today the gallery houses photographs of the archeological site with explanations to prepare you for a visit: the history of the site, the characteristics of the monuments and the conservation work. The gallery also shows temporary exhibitions on Mayan archeology.