Constructed c. 1900 as the city house of the Canton family; now the regional museum of anthropology and history. Currently the museum has several wonderful historical exhibits, one containing old photographs of the house under construction, the family as it was in those days and the Paseo de Montejo neighborhood, where the rich society of Merida (who made their money mostly as proprietors of henequen plantations) lived. A type of agave, the fiber in the leaves was the world's principal source of rope until the invention of nylon in the mid-20th century. es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_Cantón Sr. Canton was not a plantation owner, but rather a leading military and government official during the late 19th century. es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Cantón_Rosado