The Caste War Museum tells the story of 400 years of Maya resistance to foreign attacks on their culture, lands, and beliefs. The Caste War (1847-1901) was the largest and most successful of a series of Maya rebellions against oppressive economic, political, and social systems imposed by the Spanish and perpetuated after Mexican independence in 1821.

The war exploded when government officials discovered that the Maya, in what is today Quintana Roo, were preparing for a new rebellion. The execution of a native leader in July 1847 ignited a conflict that spanned the rest of the century as the Maya sought to establish and preserve their autonomy. In 1850, the appearance of a “Talking Cross” not far from Tihosuco gave new impetus to the struggle.

The rebel movement officially ended in 1901; episodes of violence and retaliation fell off by the 1930s. Today, this spirit of independence remains at the core of Maya identity in the towns and villages of Quintana Roo. Buildings from the Caste War era survive throughout the region, witnesses to this epic conflict—among them, this museum and the partially ruined Iglesia del Niño Dios in the plaza of Tihosuco.