El Cohete, Mérida’s Very Own Space Oddity
In the quiet Mérida neighborhood of Col. Mexico stands an odd and largely forgotten relic of the mid-20th century, locally known as El Cohete.
A Relic of the Space Age
El Cohete (the Rocket) was installed in front of a General Motors dealership on Paseo de Monetjo as part of an advertising campaign, as futuristic elements were the craze in the automotive industry back then. This was also still during the Cold War, when the U.S. and Soviet Union were locked in a fierce competition to dominate space exploration. Mexico, though not a direct participant in the Space Race, was swept up in the global fascination with rockets, satellites, and lunar landings. The rockets’ pointed design mirrors the aesthetics of real rockets, such as NASA’s Saturn V and the German V-2.
Some locals speculate that aside from its function as an advertisement stunt of sorts, El Cohete was inspired by Mérida’s sister-city relationship with Orlando, Florida, home to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Others believe it was simply a product of its time, when space-themed art and architecture were trendy worldwide. El Cohete today sits on Circuito Colonias, where Calle 20 and 35 intersect in the east of the city.
Yucatán also has an indirect connection to space history: the Chicxulub crater, the ancient impact site linked to the dinosaurs’ extinction, was later studied by NASA due to its geological significance. However, there is no evidence that this influenced the rocket’s construction. Mérida is also home to a fledgling aerospace industry, as components for aircraft engines and even space suits are produced at a handful of facilities.
Abandonment and Revival
Over the decades, El Cohete fell into neglect. The plaza around it deteriorated, and the fountain stopped working. For years, the rocket stood alone, its original purpose forgotten. Yet, in recent years, there has been a renewed interest in this quirky landmark. It is not uncommon for folks in Mérida to give directions along the lines of, “Oh, yeah, so and so, he lives three blocks east of El Cochete.”
Local urban explorers and history enthusiasts have campaigned to restore and preserve El Cohete as a piece of Mérida’s 20th-century heritage. Today, it is an official monument maintained by the municipality. It is a nostalgic reminder of a time when space travel still felt like an exciting, uncharted frontier. Some simply appreciate it as an oddity — a whimsical contrast to Mérida’s colonial architecture and Maya ruins.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht, PhD, is a journalist, photographer, and expedition leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada, and Norway. Most recently, he earned a doctorate in Heritage Studies in 2026.
