The Museo Regional Michoacano is one of Mexico's oldest regional museums, housed in an elegant colonial palace just off the Plaza de Armas. The collection spans the full arc of Michoacan history from pre-Columbian times through the colonial and independence periods. The Purepecha galleries are particularly strong — gold and copper objects, ceramics, and stone carvings from the empire that ruled this region before the Spanish arrived. The colonial period rooms cover the imposition of Spanish culture and religion with well-selected paintings, furniture, and documents.
The building itself is as interesting as the collection. The main courtyard gives access to rooms on two levels, all in the rose-coloured stone of Morelia's historic centre. The upper galleries look out over the rooftops of the city. The museum sometimes hosts temporary exhibitions on regional art and history, and the permanent collection alone justifies at least an hour.