Parque-Museo La Venta
Poet Carlos Pellicer moved giant Olmec heads from the La Venta archaeological site into a lakeside jungle park museum. It is Villahermosa's top attraction.
In the 1950s, the La Venta site faced destruction from oil extraction. The poet Carlos Pellicer oversaw the transfer of more than 30 colossal Olmec stone sculptures to Villahermosa, and the open-air park museum opened in 1958. Along a jungle trail of about 1 km, visitors encounter three colossal stone heads weighing more than ten tons, altars, stelae, and a jaguar sculpture. These date from roughly 1200 to 400 BC and represent some of Mesoamerica's oldest civilization. The park also has a small zoo with coatis, spider monkeys, and native animals such as jaguars. Admission is about 60 pesos, and the park is closed on Mondays. Visit in the morning to avoid the heat, and apply insect repellent.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 08:00–16:00; closed Mondays
Nearby sights
- Parque Tomás Garrido Canabal & Laguna de las Ilusiones
- Catedral del Señor de Tabasco
- Museo Regional de Antropología Carlos Pellicer Cámara
- Yumká
- Comalcalco
- Hacienda Cacaotera La Luz
- Grutas de Coconá
- Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve