Entry No. 16 — the San Antonio file — filed under: skulls
Día de los Muertos Museum
'Secretly home' on the second floor of a Mexican grocery and gift store, per the Express-News, this year-round museum displays ofrendas, folk-art skeletons, sugar-skull imagery, and Catrina figures most visitors have no idea is tucked above the produce aisle.
The story
You don't expect a museum dedicated to honoring the dead to share roof space with party supplies and imports. But head past the floor displays at Fiesta at North Star and ride the elevator up to the second-floor east wing. The retail noise drops away, replaced by an unexpectedly dense gallery of sugar skulls, hand-carved folk-art skeletons, and elaborate Catrina figures.
The museum operates year-round in this overhead sanctuary, preserving popular Latin American folk art and memorial traditions far from the usual tourist corridors. At its heart sits a community ofrenda where the line between static exhibit and active sanctuary completely dissolves, covered in hand-written notes, photos, and burning devotional candles.
What it's like
Drive to Rector Drive near North Star Mall and pull into the Fiesta parking lot. Once inside, bypass the store displays and take the elevator or stairs to the second level's east wing. Entry runs $5 per person. The space stays quiet and dimly lit, letting you wander past cases of folk art and paused altars at your own pace. Leave a memorial tag at the community ofrenda if you like, then hit the shop downstairs on your way out for pan de muerto and Mexican sweets.
The move: Light a candle at the community ofrenda together, read the handwritten memorial tags, then browse the grocery downstairs for pan de muerto and Mexican candy.
- 📍 North Central San Antonio (North Star area)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 102 W. Rector Drive, 2nd floor, East Wing, inside Fiesta at North Star, San Antonio, TX 78216
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Botanica La Caridad — Pair the museum's altar art with a visit to this store for dressed candles, herbs, and ritual supplies.
- RD Hidden Speakeasy — Match a secret second-floor museum with a signless, 27-seat speakeasy hidden behind a nearby steakhouse.
- Miraflores Park — Extend the focus on Mexican heritage art with a stop at a forgotten 1920s garden filled with traditional faux-bois concrete work.
Good to know
Where inside the building is the museum located?
It's tucked onto the second floor (East Wing) inside the Fiesta at North Star building at 102 W. Rector Drive. An elevator takes you straight up.
How much is admission?
Entry is $5.
Is this a seasonal pop-up or open year-round?
Unlike November festival altars around town, this museum maintains its exhibits and community ofrenda year-round.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · expressnews.com
last checked: 2026-07-20