Museo de la Emigración Leonesa

About the museum

The Museo de la Emigración Leonesa (MeL) tells the story of the people of León who emigrated to America, mainly to Mexico, from the late 19th century and through much of the twentieth century, driven by wars, the Civil War and poverty, and who set up their own businesses there. It opened to the public in June 2018, promoted by the Fundación Cepa González Díez, and aims to inspire young people with values such as effort, tenacity and honesty.

The museum occupies the Casona de los Pérez, a house in the Spanish manor-house style that the León carpenter Miguel Pérez Vázquez commissioned from the architect Manuel de Cárdenas in 1925; the works lasted until 1932. It has carved friezes inspired by the choir stalls of San Marcos, an Art Deco music room and a smoking room with tiles and wallpaper of Japanese inspiration. After the owner's death in 1976 the house remained closed until, in 2006, it was rehabilitated as the seat of the Fundación Carriegos and later acquired by the Fundación Cepa.

The permanent exhibition combines objects and historical documents with audiovisual and interactive modules, and is divided into four rooms: “Más allá de las circunstancias”, “Familia y patria”, “Trabajo” and “Identidad compartida”. It also presents brands born from the entrepreneurship of people from León in Mexico, such as Grupo Modelo, Telas Bayón and Galletas Marian.

Highlights

• Casona de los Pérez, a house completed in 1932
• Four rooms on Leonese emigration to America
• Interactive museography with digital and audiovisual modules
• Stories of companies such as Grupo Modelo, Telas Bayón and Galletas Marian
• Link between the Virgen del Camino and the Virgen de Guadalupe
• Art Deco music room and smoking room with Japanese inspiration

Permanent exhibition

• Exposición permanente – Four rooms showing why people from León emigrated to America, how they lived between two homelands and how work and enterprise allowed them to build their own businesses.

Founded

2018

Operated by

Fundación Cepa González Díez

Admission & discounts

Free visit: €5 (general) or €3 (reduced). Guided visit: €6 or €4. On the dates of the Altar de Muertos, tickets may have a different rate.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum presents itself as accessible and free of physical barriers, both in the facilities and in the content; access is through the courtyard. The building was adapted with lifts and digital systems.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The museum offers children's workshops with prior registration and an interactive museography with screens and audiovisual modules.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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