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    The timber front of the Museo de los Duendes in San Miguel Regla, with herringbone planks, oval windows and a moss-draped doorway, Hidalgo

    Photo by AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Museo de los Duendes

    Landmark Huasca de Ocampo, Hidalgo Municipality of Huasca de Ocampo Hidalgo Mountain Corridor Comarca Minera Geopark

    A wooden cabin in San Miguel Regla, 15 minutes from Huasca, full of figures, offerings and tales of duendes, fairies and trolls. Entry 40 pesos.

    From Pachuca: about 25 min by road (~30 km) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to Museo de los Duendes

    Look for tours of the area around Huasca de Ocampo that stop at Museo de los Duendes.

    Tours from Zacatlan Zacatlán Guided Tour walking through the Center ★ 5.0 (2) · From US$8
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    How to get to Museo de los Duendes

    • From Pachuca: about 25 min by road (~30 km)
    • Nearest airport: Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), 1 h 21 min by car to Huasca de Ocampo
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    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Zacatlan, near Museo de los Duendes

    Zacatlán Guided Tour walking through the Center ★ 5.0 (2) 2 h 30 min From US$8

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    About Museo de los Duendes

    In Huasca de Ocampo, the first town to be named a Pueblo Mágico, in 2001, plenty of people say they share their lives with duendes, the little goblin-like beings of Mexican folklore, and this museum is devoted entirely to them. It stands at kilometre 2.5 of the Huasca–Tulancingo road in San Miguel Regla, next to the Barranca Honda hotel and inside the eco-tourism park of the same name. It was created by Cristina Cortés de Herwig, who spent years gathering accounts from villagers and farmers around the area. The building is a timber cabin with a steep gabled roof, herringbone planks across the front, two oval windows and a moss-draped doorway, shaded by an oak.

    Visits begin at the door with a guide who explains the lore of duendes, fairies, elves and trolls; in Huasca they are said to guard the forest, to be drawn by the minerals of the old mines and to love anything shiny. After that you wander the rooms at your own pace. There are duendes, gnomes, chaneques and fairies of every size, each with a card on its origin and powers; fairies grouped by star sign; photographs, written testimonies and objects donated by people who say they have lived alongside these creatures. The pieces people talk about most are the trenzados, knotted locks of hair blamed on the niñitos, as the duendes are called locally. The museum's stories involve children, adults, old people and even horses said to have been touched by them. Visitors leave sweets, coins and banknotes beside the figures when they make a wish.

    There is a gift shop, parking and a themed restaurant, El Duende Glotón. In the evening a torch-lit night walk heads through the Barranca Honda woods to the Árbol de los Deseos, the wishing tree. The trout farm at Bosque de las Truchas, the Santa María Regla hacienda and the Prismas Basálticos are all close by.

    How to get to Museo de los Duendes

    The museum is at kilometre 2.5 of the Huasca–Tulancingo road in San Miguel Regla, 15 minutes and 8 km from central Huasca. From Pachuca, the nearest city, it is 40 minutes and 31 km: take the Corredor de la Montaña road towards Huasca (at the fork, left goes to the Prismas Basálticos and right to the town) and the museum is about five minutes past Huasca. Coming from Mexico City via Tulancingo, you reach it about five minutes before the town. By public transport, buses run from Mexico City's Terminal Norte to Pachuca in about two hours, and Flecha Roja also goes from the Terminal Norte to Huasca. In Pachuca, combis marked "Huasca de Ocampo" leave from the Mercado Benito Juárez downtown (take a taxi there from the bus station) and take about 45 minutes. In Huasca, combis to San Miguel Regla leave from behind the San Juan Bautista church. Another option is Huasca's tourist tram, whose ticket includes the round trip and museum entry.

    Directions to Museo de los Duendes on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

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    From the nearest cities to Museo de los Duendes

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Museo de los Duendes: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Daily, 9:00 to 17:00. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    40 pesos per person, general admission. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Time needed
    About 40 minutes; up to an hour and a half at a slow pace. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    Arrive early to avoid queues, especially in high season. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    A guide gives an introduction at the entrance; after that you explore on your own. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Cash and a camera; if you have long hair, braid it before going in. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Museo de los Duendes: what to see and do

    The herringbone timber front with its moss-covered doorway.
    The figures of duendes, gnomes, chaneques and fairies, each with its card.
    The fairies arranged by star sign.
    The trenzados, knotted locks of hair blamed on the duendes.
    The sweets and coins visitors leave as offerings.
    The torch-lit night walk to the wishing tree.
    A meal at the El Duende Glotón restaurant.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Museo de los Duendes

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    Tours & activities

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    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at NLU (Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles)): about 1 h 21 min by road to Huasca de Ocampo, then 5 km more to Museo de los Duendes, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), about 1 h 21 min by road from Huasca de Ocampo, the base for Museo de los Duendes.

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    Travel insurance

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    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Huasca de Ocampo: download a map of the way to Museo de los Duendes before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

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    When to go to Museo de los Duendes cool

    Museo de los Duendes shares the climate of Huasca de Ocampo, 5 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Huasca de Ocampo

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Huasca de Ocampo

    Stone cross in the atrium of the Church of San Juan Bautista, Huasca de Ocampo, Hidalgo cool
    Hidalgo Huasca de Ocampo

    Huasca de Ocampo is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Museo de los Duendes, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.