The JAPI Museum in Guadalajara is no longer a government promise or a construction site: since June 18, 2024, it has had open doors, a ticket office and weekend lines. It stands on the site that for 21 years was the Trompo Mágico children’s museum, in Zapopan, but the resemblance ends with the address. JAPI (Jalisco Paseo Interactivo) is an 8,300-square-meter (89,000 sq ft) interactive museum with 90 exhibits, five themed zones and a flying theater that, depending on who you ask, is the most impressive thing built in a Mexican museum in years.
Whether you never went to the Trompo Mágico or you went twenty years ago and want to know what it became, here is everything: current prices, the five zones explained one by one, what to do with small children, how much time to allow and how to get there without getting lost.
What the JAPI Museum is and why it replaced the Trompo Mágico
JAPI was born from a complete overhaul of the former Trompo Mágico Museum, which operated on the same Zapopan property starting in 2003. The Jalisco state government invested MXN $680 million in the project and tripled the size of the venue: from 2,400 square meters of activity areas to the current 8,300. The opening was timed to coincide with the 201st anniversary of Jalisco’s founding as a free and sovereign state, on June 16, 2024, with then-governor Enrique Alfaro cutting the ribbon.
Today the museum belongs to Museos, Exposiciones y Galerías de Jalisco (MEG), a decentralized state agency. Unlike the Museo Regional de Guadalajara, which displays physical objects in glass cases, JAPI goes all in on digital exhibits: screens, motion sensors, augmented reality and a theater with robotic seats. So far, it is the largest project of its kind in Latin America.
📌 JAPI Museum quick facts: Opened June 18, 2024 · 8,300 m² · 90 exhibits · 5 themed zones · Formerly: Trompo Mágico Museum (2003-2023) · Operated by MEG Jalisco.
JAPI Museum Guadalajara location, hours and prices
The JAPI Museum is in Zapopan, part of the Guadalajara metro area, directly across from the SAT (Mexico’s tax agency) offices and a short walk from PALCCO and Andares.
📍 Address: Av. Central Guillermo González Camarena 750, Residencial Poniente, C.P. 45136, Zapopan, Jalisco.
🕘 Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Closed Mondays.
💲 General admission: MXN $150 at the box office or MXN $168 on Boletomóvil (includes all exhibits, workshops and activities except Werika).
💲 Reduced admission: MXN $75 at the box office or MXN $84 on Boletomóvil — children under 12, holders of an INAPAM senior card and people with disabilities; does not include Werika.
👶 Children under 2: free.
☎️ Phone: 33 3818 2870 · Email: megj@jalisco.gob.mx
Tickets are sold at the box office or, to skip the line, on Boletomóvil. The museum can take up to 2,000 visitors a day, so if you go on a Sunday afternoon or during school holidays, buying in advance saves you waiting time.
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The 5 zones of the JAPI Museum: what is in each one
There is no required order. JAPI’s five zones are connected, and you can start with whichever one interests you most. Here is what you will find in each.
Identidad (Identity)
The history, traditions and symbols of Jalisco told through interactive exhibits, from the region’s crafts to the food the state is known for. This is also where you will find the Interactive Digital Mural, a touch screen inspired by Wixárika (Huichol) art where visitors draw and watch their lines become part of a collective mural in real time.
Naturaleza (Nature)
Jalisco’s biodiversity explained with immersive projections of plants and wildlife. The two most talked-about rooms are here: the historical journey across Lake Chapala, aboard a virtual fishing boat with a digital guide who explains the ecosystem of Mexico’s largest lake, and the exploration of the Bosque Mesófilo de Montaña (cloud forest), a room that reacts to visitors’ movements and lets you “collect” digital seeds and discover the forest’s daytime and nocturnal species.
Creatividad (Creativity)
Dedicated to Jalisco talent in art, science, technology and innovation, from folk art to contemporary work. This zone also hosts the museum’s temporary exhibitions, which rotate and focus on artists from Jalisco.
Persona (People)
A tribute to Jalisco sports with an interactive arena where augmented reality lets you feel what it is like to drive a Formula 1 car like Sergio “Checo” Pérez. The same room has virtual experiences featuring other athletes born in the state, such as golfer Lorena Ochoa, soccer player Alicia Cervantes and former national team player Pavel Pardo.
Zona de Pequeños (Little Ones Zone)
A space designed specifically for children ages 0 to 5, with sensory and play stations at their scale. It is the zone that makes the visit work when you bring babies or children who cannot yet walk far enough for the rest of the museum.
Werika, the flying theater: JAPI’s signature attraction
If you only read about one attraction before you go, make it this one. Werika is an immersive theater with a wraparound screen and a platform of 40 robotic seats that move in sync with the projection, simulating a flight over Jalisco’s most iconic landscapes: mountains, volcanoes, Lake Chapala seen from above and Wixárika communities. The experience combines real physical movement (the seat rises, drops and tilts) with the visual story, something no other museum in Latin America had offered at this scale until now.
Werika lasts 8 to 10 minutes and usually has its own line inside the museum, especially on weekends. If your priority is enjoying it without rushing, do Werika within your first two hours, before it gets crowded. The ticket for this attraction costs MXN $300 and already includes admission to JAPI.
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Services inside the JAPI Museum
Beyond the exhibition halls, the grounds keep and expand several facilities inherited from the former Trompo Mágico:
- Café and soda fountain
- Lockers for backpacks and coats
- Picnic area and space for children’s parties
- Gift and snack shop
- First-aid station and nursing room
- Library and auditorium for talks and book presentations
- Plant nursery and outdoor garden
- Sports courts and an event stage
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the venue
- Restrooms and coat check
The museum also offers guided tours, workshops for children, teens and adults, and a program of concerts and talks that changes every month. If you plan to attend a special event, check JAPI’s official social media before your visit, since some workshops require advance registration.
How to get to the JAPI Museum
The museum is on Av. Central Guillermo González Camarena, in Zapopan, less than 15 minutes by car from places like Andares, Providencia or Puerta de Hierro.
🚗 By car: the museum has its own parking lot next to the main entrance, on Av. Guillermo González Camarena. Visitor reports in 2024 put the cost at MXN $20 per hour, with a maximum daily rate of MXN $80 from the fourth hour on; confirm the current rate when you arrive, since it may change.
🚕 By rideshare app: the most direct option if you are coming from downtown or the Minerva-Chapultepec area, with travel times of 20 to 35 minutes depending on traffic.
🚌 By public transportation: several bus routes and Macrobús lines connect with Zapopan; plan your route ahead of time, because there is no light rail station right next to the area.
A useful landmark: the museum is right across from the SAT building in Zapopan and a few steps from the PALCCO entertainment venue, so if you know that area, you know exactly where you are.
More things to do near the JAPI Museum
JAPI’s location in Zapopan makes it easy to combine your visit with other plans without driving far:
- PALCCO: the concert and entertainment venue is just steps from the museum.
- Andares: a shopping center with stores, restaurants and movie theaters, ideal for a meal after the museum.
- Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara: less than 15 minutes by car, to end the day outdoors.
- Bosque Los Colomos: another green space nearby, with trails and a Japanese garden.
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Where to eat near the JAPI Museum
The museum itself has no full restaurant, only a café and soda fountain for a quick snack. For a proper meal, Andares is the closest and most complete option: it is less than 10 minutes away by car and has everything from international chains to chef-driven Mexican cuisine, with choices for every budget in the same complex. If you prefer something quicker and more casual before or after the museum, there are cafés and taquerías along Av. Guillermo González Camarena and in Puerta de Hierro, five to ten minutes away by car, handy if you are short on time between the museum and your next plan.
Suggested itinerary: how to plan a 3-hour visit
If it is your first time and you want to make the most of it without rushing, this order works well for most families:
- First 20 minutes: go straight to Werika. It is the most popular room, and the line grows quickly after 11:00 a.m.
- Next hour: explore Naturaleza (Lake Chapala and the cloud forest) and Identidad (the Wixárika mural), the zones with the most interactive stations and the longest time per visitor.
- After a snack at the café: head to Persona, especially if you are traveling with sports fans; the F1 simulator usually has its own line on weekends.
- Last 30-40 minutes: finish in Creatividad and, if you have children ages 0 to 5, save the Zona de Pequeños for the end, once the rest of the group has seen the larger rooms.
On a weekday you can relax this order: there are fewer people and almost no line for Werika, so you can follow whatever catches your interest.
Tips for visiting the JAPI Museum
Allow 2 to 3 hours to see the whole museum, more if you are with children who want to repeat the interactive rooms or stop at every station in the Zona de Pequeños. Wear comfortable clothes and sneakers: several rooms, like the cloud forest, require physical movement to trigger the sensors.
- Arrive early if you want Werika without a line; spots fill up quickly after noon.
- Tuesday to Friday is less crowded than the weekend, if your schedule allows.
- Bring a light jacket: some immersive rooms lower the temperature to enhance the atmosphere.
- If you have children ages 0 to 5, start or finish at the Zona de Pequeños so they do not tire out too soon.
- Check JAPI’s official social media before you go: the workshop and talk schedule changes often.
JAPI Museum FAQ
How much does the JAPI Museum cost?
General admission costs MXN $150 and includes all exhibits, workshops and activities. Children under 12, INAPAM card holders and people with disabilities pay MXN $75. Children under 2 get in free.
What are the JAPI Museum hours?
Tuesday to Friday it is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Is the JAPI Museum the same as the Trompo Mágico?
It occupies the same site in Zapopan, but it is a different project: it was built from scratch on those grounds, tripled the size of the Trompo Mágico and completely shifted the exhibit approach toward digital and immersive experiences.
How long does it take to see JAPI?
Two to 3 hours for a full visit to all 5 zones and Werika. With small children, or if you want to repeat activities, it can stretch to half a day.
Can you go with babies or very young children?
Yes. The Zona de Pequeños is designed for children ages 0 to 5, and the museum has a nursing room and a first-aid station.
Is there parking at the JAPI Museum?
Yes, there is an on-site parking lot next to the main entrance on Av. Guillermo González Camarena, charged by the hour.
What is Werika and do you pay extra to get in?
Werika is JAPI’s flying theater, with robotic seats and a wraparound screen that simulates a flight over Jalisco. According to current official information, it is included in the MXN $150 general ticket, although it is a good idea to check at the box office whether space is limited on the day of your visit.
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