November 17, 2025

Dia de los Muertos (or “Day of the Dead”) is a Latin American cultural celebration to honor loved ones who have passed away— and at the same time each year, in early November, monarch mariposas (butterflies) arrive in Central America on their southern migration path. Some regard the return of the monarchs as the souls of ancestors and deceased family coming to visit!

On November 1, we celebrated Dia de los Muertos and the monarch migration with activities featuring Mesoamerican culture and butterfly conservation. Visitors were invited to make their own papel picado decorations, Mayan codices and pendants, and seed balls with native wild flowers. Finally, guests got a sweet treat in the Magic Wings Butterfly House while learning about the history of chocolate!

Archaeologist and epigrapher, Dr. Gabrielle Vail worked with the Museum to develop activities to familiarize learners with Mayan timekeeping, astronomy, number systems, and more. During the Dia de los Muertos celebrations, she helped families read Mayan glyphs and read Mesoamerican cultural stories in the Butterfly House!

If you missed the event, you can still learn more and even do activities at home with Dr. Vail’s resources, which you can find here.