[1] The museum is situated opposite the central park of La Democracia, which is notable for its display of large prehispanic sculptures in the potbelly style.

[1] La Democracia is situated in the department of Escuintla at an altitude of 165 metres (541 ft) above mean sea level.

[2] The museum was founded in February 1966 at the instigation of Rubén Chévez van Dorne, who had regularly been given pre-Columbian ceramic pieces by teachers working on a cotton plantation in the neighbouring municipality of La Gomera, who observed that archaeological remains were frequently uncovered by tractors.

[3] The museum was placed in a school building that was refurbished by INGUAT, the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism; it had previously housed the Escuelas Urbanas de la Democracia.

[3] Aside from its archaeological collection, the museum possesses an exhibition of modern art by Guatemalan artists, displayed on the upper floor.