Drifting around this morbid attraction in Mexico is, quite literally, a chance to stare death in the face.
These shrouded mummies are far from macabre displays, however – they are real people who died 200 years ago before being brought up from the ground.
When hundreds of people in the Mexican town of Guanajuato fell victim to a cholera outbreak in 1833, bereaved families were forced to bury their loved ones immediately to prevent the spread of disease.
Four decades later, long after the outbreak, a cruel tax was imposed penalising anyone still looking after old graves, meaning many of the bodies had to be brought up.
What the gravediggers of Guanajuato were not prepared for, however, was the condition the remains were in despite spending more than 40 years in the earth.
In fact, they had been mummified. The unique composition and elevation of the central-Mexico town's soil made decay almost impossible, meaning bodies had been remarkably preserved.
The mummies were taken to a nearby warehouse for storage.
But word quickly got around about the human bodies, and it wasn't long before people's morbid curiosities got the better of them with intruders regularly breaking into the warehouse to take a peek.
Many visitors would slip caretakers a tip to see the bodies, and today, they are kept on display in a museum in the town.
While now behind temperature-controlled glass screens, the mummies initially were suspended by ropes with visitors able to get up close and personal. This soon stopped when tourists horrifically began stealing parts as sick souvenirs.
Although controversial, the museum continues to remember the identities of the unearthed bodies as a dark reminder of the town's history.
The body of one local doctor, who as a French immigrant with no family around had been the first to be exhumed, is now a local celebrity and household name in the town.
Most distressing though is the preserved remains of an unborn baby - the world's smallest mummy - on display next to its pregnant mother.
Another is the mummy of a woman who locals believe was mistakenly buried alive after her family believed her dead, due to being found with her back to the coffin lid as if trying to push it open.
While a horrifying thought to contemplate, it's not known for certain whether this story is true or just legend.
Thankfully, the tax on graves was axed in 1958 and to this day locals can be assured their remains will lie undisturbed.
But Guanajuato's Mummy Museum remains open for business – if you dare.
