Museums in Spain
With a cultural scene that most countries can only dream of, the sheer number of museums and cultural centers found throughout Spain is enough to keep any culture-vulture busy for decades! Below we suggest just a few of what we consider to be Spain's top museums:
EL PRADO (Madrid)
The Prado Museum, which ranks right up there with the Louvre in France and the National Gallery in England, is Spain's most prominant art museum. The museum's holdings span the centuries and consist of more than 8,500 works by top artists from Spain and Europe- Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Bosch, Van der Weyden... the list is endless!
MUSEO NACIONAL CENTRO DE ARTE REINA SOFIA (Madrid)
The Reina Sofía is Spain's premier modern art museum, where you can find works from the 19th century through today. From cubism and surrealism (2nd floor) to abstract and pop art (4th floor) as well as constantly changing temporary exhibits, here you can discover the works and styles of Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Salvador Dalí, Luis Buñuel, Joan Miró and many more.
MUSEO THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA (Madrid)
The Thyssen-Bornemisza museum is the third of Madrid's "big three" on the "Avenue of the arts". Believe it or not, the museum's impressive collection of European artwork is private, belonging to one of Spain's wealthiest families. The museum has a bit of everything and covers all of Western art's major trends, from 8th century pieces right up through 20th-century Pop Art.
MUSEO GUGGENHEIM (Bilbao)
The funky exterior of Bilbao's famous Guggenheim Museum, which was designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, boasts creative forms and smooth lines. Within, you'll find a museum dedicated to modern and contemporary artwork in a variety of mediums.
MUSEU DE LES CIÈNCIES PRÍNCIPE FELIPE (Valencia)
Valencia's science museum, part of the ultra-modern and one-of-a-kind City of Arts & Sciences complex, is a totally interactive science museum boasting cutting edge technology, a great program of events, activities and experiments for adults and kids alike and a variety of eye-opening exhibits.
MUSEO PICASSO (Málaga)
Málaga's Picasso museum, which is housed in the artist's birth home, holds a variety of paintings, drawings, sketches, ceramics and much more from throughout Picasso's prolific career that were donated by the artist's family members.
MUSEU PICASSO (Barcelona)
Barcelona's Picasso museum, the city's most popular museum, features a massive collection of the artist's works with a particular emphasis on his earlier artwork leading up to what became his signature Cubist style. Here you'll find artwork from his famous Blue Period as well as his creative takes on Velázquez's famous painting Las Meninas.
MUSEU DALÍ (Figueres)
The Dalí museum celebrates, of course, the life and works of Surrealist artist and cultural character Salvador Dalí. The museum, a former theater totally redesigned by Dalí himself, contains the largest range of works in the world and covers Dalí's entire artistic career.
MARQ (Alicante)
Alicante's modern archaeological museum puts an interactive and multimedia spin on a topic characteristically dominated by "Don't touch" signs and dusty pots.
