The 15 best museums in Spain

2022-04-25

You don't have to travel the world to see some of the most recognized works in art history. From the largest collections of artists such as El Greco or Picasso, to the most outstanding works such as El Guernica or Las Meninas. In this post we invite you to visit the 15 best museums in Spain.

Prado National Museum, Madrid

We start with the best museum in Spain, which is almost always among the top 10 of the lists of the best museums in the world.
It is considered to have the largest collection of Spanish art with works by Goya, El Greco, and Velázquez. Containing more than 35,000 objects, of which 8,045 are paintings. Although it is not the largest, it is considered the most intense collection, for having works by the most admired artists and references for later movements and artists.

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

The Guggenheim is a museum of contemporary art, a real jewel in the city of Bilbao. It features works by Koons, Warhol, and Klein among other national and international modern artists. The building itself is already a work of art, designed by the architect Frank Gehry. Just for its facade and its exterior art pieces, it is already worth a visit.
You can see more of what can be done in Bilbao in a weekend here.

Picasso Museum Málaga, Málaga

Located in the painter's hometown, the Picasso Museum in Málaga is one of the most visited in southern Spain, as it has more than 285 works from all the artistic periods of the artist.
It was the same family of Picasso that donated 155 works by the author's own will, who could not give them in life because of restrictions due to Franco’s dictatorship.

Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid

The Reina Sofia Museum was founded in 1992 and has works from the 20th century and also contemporary ones. It is another of the great museums in the city of Madrid and one of the most renowned in the country.
One of his most recognized works is Picasso's Guernica, one of the most representative paintings of Spanish history. In addition to other known pieces from the cubist movement, such as Guitar and newspaper by the French Juan Gris or Dalí's surrealism with El gran masturbador and La memoria de la mujer-niña.

Dalí Theatre-Museum, Figueres, Catalonia

Following with Dalí, one of the museums that you cannot miss is the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, the artist's hometown. Everything about this museum will surprise you, from its exterior facade, with its large eggs and many croissants, to the spectacular ceiling fresco inside, and the other hundred many little details.
A visit to this museum is quite an experience in the mind of one of the masters of surrealism.

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid

The museum in Madrid that completes the so-called Paseo del Arte in the city: the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. With works from different artistic currents, you can find artists from the 14th century, such as Jan van Eyck to those from the Impressionist era such as Monet or Van Gogh, or to the abstracts Kandinsky and Pollock.
We know that this is already the third museum we have recommended in Madrid, but if you have the opportunity, you must pay a visit because this is truly a worth seeing collection.

City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia

Only its exterior is already a modern architectural work in itself. The cultural and entertainment complex is made up of a total of seven buildings, intended for different formats of scientific and cultural divulgation.
The part of the Science Museum is intended to promote science, technology and the environment with permanent and temporary exhibitions. The initial opening of the complex was in 1998, but the museum opened in 2000.

Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona, MACBA, Barcelona

Inaugurated in 1995, the MACBA is a museum dedicated to the exhibition of contemporary art and culture. With works from the second half of the 20th century to the present, with European pop and avant-garde works from the 60s and 70s. It definitely pays special attention to Catalan artists.

Museum of Fine Arts of Seville, Seville

Occupying the former Merced Calzada Convent and originally founded as a "painting museum", we find the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville. The building itself is already a work to admire, although inside you can find works by artists such as El Greco and Zurbarán.

El Greco Museum, Toledo

El Greco is an artist who, although he was born in Crete, produced most of his work in the city of Toledo. El Greco Museum is a house-museum which opened in 1911 in which around 132 cultural assets are exhibited. At the time, this was intended to be a big Spanish art gallery, so you can also find some works by authors similar to the ones in the Seville Museum of Fine Arts, such as Murillo or Luis Tristán.
Another reason to visit the Museo del Greco is that it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You cannot miss it!

National Museum of Art of Catalonia, MNAC, Barcelona

Another of the best museums in Spain is the MNAC, it is considered to have one of the most complete collections of Romanesque art and was also named a Site of Cultural Interest in 1962.
The museum is located in the National Palace of Montjuïc, between waterfalls and water fountains, with its majestic oval dome, and its long staircase. A must if you visit the Catalan capital.
Among the works exhibited, those from the 11th to the 13th century stand out, in addition to having pieces from various movements such as Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Catalan modernism.

Pompidou Center, Malaga

First headquarters outside of France of the famous Georges Pompidou National Center for Art and Culture.
The center's collection is semi-permanent, meaning it lasts a little over two years, where you'll be able to find both modern and contemporary art. It even has exhibited works by Picasso, Matisse, and Frida Khalo. The icon of the museum is El Cubo, one of the works displayed outside that is located on the roof of the building and is like a colored skylight in the shape of a cube.

Casa Lis Museum, Salamanca

The Casa Lis Museum in Salamanca, also known as the Museum of Art Déco and Art Nouveau, has a collection of furniture and decorative arts objects. Located in the Casa Lis, a modernist mansion next to the Tormes river, it exhibits 3,000 pieces from the 1830s and 1920s of the current that appeared in Europe.

Picasso Museum of Barcelona, Barcelona

Upon receiving Málaga's refusal, Picasso made the donation of his works through one of his friends, Jaime Sabartés, to the city of Barcelona. The museum was opened in 1963 and the collection was completed thanks to other donations. It is the most comprehensive collection of the works of his youth and formative years.
Today, the museum owns a total of 3,500 works by the author, also counting on the series of 58 paintings on Las Meninas by Velázquez.

Jurassic Museum, Asturias

We finish with a slightly different museum, the Jurassic Museum of Asturias! A Spanish paleontological museum that can be found between the Asturian towns of Colunga and Lastres, the same region where these extinct beings inhabited in the past. In it you can see one of the most complete samples in the world about the extraordinary terrestrial reptiles. Skeletons, footprints, and recreations of dinosaurs, a great adventure for any age.

Have you already made the list of the museums that you have left to see? At Resa Inn we can help you find the best accommodation in 20 Spanish cities, staying in residence halls at the best price. Do not miss all the wonders that are hidden in Spain!

You may be interested: What to see in Bilbao on a weekend