The Palacio de Gobierno faces the Plaza Mayor from the north and houses the offices of Yucatán state government, but it is open to the public for a compelling reason: the murals of Fernando Castro Pacheco, which cover the main staircase and the upper hall with a sweeping narrative of Yucatecan and Maya history. The paintings are enormous, saturated with colour, and deeply political — Pacheco's Maya figures are proud, suffering, and ultimately triumphant, and the Spanish are not presented sympathetically.
The ground floor often has free temporary exhibitions. The upper gallery, where the full mural cycle is concentrated, offers views down to the Plaza Mayor as well as the art. Entry is free and the palace is open most days, though hours vary and it closes for official state events. Even if the murals do not hold your attention for long, the colonial architecture of the building and the shaded arcades along its ground floor, which are in constant use by locals sheltering from the heat, are worth the visit.