How Karla Museos saved Mexican museums

It was in the summer of 2022 that I first came across the account of Karla Chichil, better known as Karla Museos. The world was still finding a “new normal” after the Covid-19 pandemic, and I was eager to discover more of Mexico City through its seemingly endless offering of museums. The Instagram algorithm must have known this because one day it suggested Karla’s account, a page dedicated to Mexican museums and Mexican culture. Its content immediately attracted me.

At the time, Karla had a few thousand followers on Instagram. Today, she has over 265,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok combined. “When I hit the first 1,000 subscribers, I couldn’t believe it,” she told me recently during a Zoom conversation. “I thought the number wouldn’t increase because I couldn’t imagine that many people were interested in museums.”

Today, visiting Mexico City’s museums is fashionable. “It became popular about five years ago,” she told me. When I suggested she had something to do with it, she was too shy to admit it. “I want to believe it!” she said.

From student account to professional career

Karla started her Instagram account ten years ago while studying advertising.

“I was told I needed an Instagram account to get a job in the industry. But at the time, people were posting selfies, and I wasn’t a fan of selfies, so I started sharing photos of the museums I was visiting because I was already spending a lot of time there.” she declared.

Karla saw museums as an “oasis in the city” where she could relax and unwind. However, after spending so much time there, she realized that museums were missing something essential: people to visit them.

“There were all these beautiful museums with beautiful collections, and a lot of times I was the only one there. That’s when I noticed that museums didn’t have a marketing strategy in place to attract visitors.

After graduating, she started working in a travel agency. Concerned about the lack of visitors to museums, she offered customers recommendations on which museums to visit in Mexico City. Word of mouth quickly flooded her WhatsApp with messages, and she became known as Karla the museum (Karla, the lady from the museum).

“Sometimes it would be 10pm on a Friday night and I would find myself responding to WhatsApp messages from people asking for recommendations. I started adding information about museum hours and exhibits in the captions of my Instagram posts, and directed those people to my account,” she said.

Until today, Karla has helped many people – like me – discover the museums of the Mexican capital. More importantly, it has helped museums not only stay operational, but thrive. Following the pandemic, its ability to attract visitors to Casa Rivas Mercado, the former residence of Mexican architect Antonio Rivas Mercadoallowed the homeowners to raise enough funds to repair its roof. She also helped the family of Pedro Ramírez Vázquez transform the architect’s office into a museum.

“I was overwhelmed with work, but I couldn’t say no to the family of the man who designed the National Museum of Anthropology and History! she told me enthusiastically.

His work also offered him enriching moments. Recently, the Frida Kahlo Museum, which must be booked at least three months in advance, opened its doors on a Monday just so Karla and her team could create content for her page. “I just couldn’t believe we had the whole museum to ourselves,” she told me in disbelief.

For her, having the recognition of the museum directors is her greatest achievement.

Karla’s 5 favorite museums in Mexico

Home to more than 180 museums, Mexico City is the second city in the world with the most museums. “There’s always something new happening. New exhibitions and new proposals,” she says enthusiastically.

Although she loves discovering new experiences and attractions, Karla’s favorite museums remain unchanged. His five favorite museums are:

Anahuacalli Museum in Coyoacán, known for housing the pre-Hispanic collection of Diego Rivera.

Casa Rivas Museum Market in the Guerrero neighborhood, showcasing the legacy of architect Antonio Rivas Mercado and his daughter, Antonieta, a prominent cultural patron.

Valparaíso Forum Museum in the historic center of Mexico City, dedicated to innovation and culture.

National Museum of Art of Mexico in the historic center of Mexico City, housing a representative collection of Mexican art, from the viceregal era to the first half of the 20th century.

San Carlos National Museum in the Tabacalera neighborhood, housing a collection of European art from the 14th to the 20th centuries, as well as artwork by professors and students of the Academy of San Carlos.

Karla offers guided tours of Mexico City museums, in Spanish and English. To take a tour with her, you can contact her by WhatsApp on +52 56 1740 3911 or contact her via her Instagram account @karlamuseos.

Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow his lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.