The hacienda was built 170 years ago as the Spanish began to mine gold and silver in the area. It was loving restored and maintained by expatriate Bud Acord during the era of Puerto Vallarta's emergence as a resort town.

Bud was great friends with such legends as John Huston, Shirley Booth and Loretta Young, and the hacienda museum holds many momentos of those days as well as artifacts and historical documents relating to the early years of the mining company.

It is a fascinating place to visit, especially as the memorabilia is displayed in the majestic reception rooms of this imposing building that has changed very little over the centuries. One can easily imagine the scenes of toil and celebration that took place in the mining era. Similarly, the photos and letters belonging to Bud Acord offer a glimpse of Puerto Vallarta's heyday and one can feel the presence of the illustrious characters in the grand hallways.

The museum is usually open between 9am and 4pm from Monday through Saturday. For the best insight into the history of the hacienda, we highly recommend a stay of one or two nights in the atmospheric guest rooms. The hacienda still operates without electricity, and so the guest rooms are lit with oil lamps and warmed by real fireplaces (though they have conventional bathrooms and showers with hot water).

Previous guests include Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and John Huston himself, so you'll certainly be in good company.