Museums in Malaga, an international cultural reference

Malaga is not only known for being a city of sun and beach, every year thousands of tourists come to see its monuments and history, enjoy the gastronomy and visit all the museums in Malaga and its province, whether they are art museums (contemporary, renaissance, cubist, impressionist…), nature, music, wine, cars…

Thanks to this wide range of possibilities, Malaga has become a reference point for tourism, gastronomy, leisure and culture, as you can find hundreds of activities to do and make a trip to suit your needs.

There are more than 30 museums in Malaga with different themes, so if you want to visit them all, you will need to plan well. I will detail the museums according to their theme, and then I will explain some of them, such as the Thyssen Museum, Pompidou, Russian Museum or the Museum of Malaga.

MUSEUMS IN MALAGA BY THEME

The museums in Malaga stand out for their variety but above all for their permanent exhibitions of great cultural value, which have made Malaga an international reference point. But let’s not forget the temporary exhibitions of these museums, so we must be attentive to plan the trip and be able to see them.

I have specified the most outstanding ones, although as I mentioned before there are more than 30 museums in Malaga, including the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castle, two historical monuments that you will find in the centre of Malaga.

PICASSO MUSEUM

Pablo Picasso is undoubtedly one of Malaga’s most illustrious figures, and thanks to his efforts and those of his family, a museum was opened in which to display many of his most iconic and representative works.

Located in the Palace of the Counts of Buenavista, in the heart of the city centre and just a few steps from Malaga Cathedral, this Museum opened its doors in 2003 and since then millions of people have enjoyed the magic of the painter from Malaga.

Pictures provided by Picasso Museum

The Picasso Museum has 233 permanent works distributed over two floors, which show visitors the chronological evolution of his work from his beginnings, such as his blue, pink and cubist periods, to his last works before his death in 1973.

Until 2023 we will be able to enjoy 162 new works by Picasso, which will be added to the permanent collection of 233 works. This new collection consists of 44 paintings, 49 drawings, 40 graphic works, 10 sculptures, 17 ceramics, 1 tapestry and 1 linoleum panel, dating from 1894 to 1972.

In the basement of the Buenavista Palace you can see archaeological remains from different cultures such as the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs and Renaissance, which reflect the history of Malaga, one of the oldest in the West.

Opening hours: Mon – Sun from 11:00 am to 07:00 pm
Calle San Agustín, 8   29015  Malaga

PICASSO BIRTHPLACE MUSEUM

Another of the most relevant museums in Malaga. Continuing with the history of Pablo Picasso, this museum is located in Picasso’s own house, where he stayed for the first 10 years of his life, until he moved to La Coruña and later to Barcelona.

Through 10 rooms, Picasso Birthplaceshows visitors the artist’s life, family photos, sketches, with the aim of conveying his most personal side and his influence with his hometown.

Pictures provided by Picasso Birthplace Museum

Among its rooms you can see a recreation of the main hall of the house, as well as the workshop of his father José Ruíz, who was a painter specialising in still lifes and landscapes.

Since its beginnings, La Casa Natal has brought together more than 200 pieces by different artists, including photographs of illustrated books by artists such as Miró, Chagall and Max Ernst, although one of the most important pieces is undoubtedly Picasso’s repair notebook for his work “Las señoritas de Aviñon” (Les Demoiselles d’Avignon), one of his most iconic works.

Opening hours: Mon – Sun from 09:30 am to 08:00 pm
Plaza de la Merced, 15,   29012  Malaga

THYSSEN MUSEUM

This museum is a national and international reference, which contains works from different periods and styles that make it an essential place if you visit Malaga.

Thanks to the efforts of Baroness Thyssen, this museum was opened in 2011 for our enjoyment. Although most of the paintings are by Spanish artists from the 19th and early 20th centuries, with a special focus on Andalusian painting, there are also international masters from other, older periods.

The more than 250 works in the museum’s permanent collection belong to the private collection of Baroness Carmen Thyssen, including “Santa Marina” by Francisco de Zurbarán, “Patio de la casa Sorolla” by Joaquín Sorolla y Bastilla and “La Buenaventura” by Julio Romero de Torres, among others.

Pictures provided by Thyssen Museum

The temporary collections include great international artists such as Juan Gris, Tolouse-Lautrec, Henri-Matisse, Van Gogh and Monet, which makes you want to come back and see them.

The museum is located in the Villalon Palace, a 16th century noble residence in the historic centre of Malaga. In addition, archaeological remains of a Roman villa, whose origins date back to the 1st century A.D., have been found on the site now occupied by the Museum.

Opening hours: Mon – Sun from 10:00 am to 08:00 pm
Calle Compañía, 10  29008  Malaga

CENTRE POMPIDOU

When we talk about Malaga as an international cultural reference point, it is because of the commitment of major museums to open a new venue in this city, such as the Centre Pompidou Malaga, which is a branch of the Georges Pompidou National Centre of Art and Culture and the only one outside Paris.

It has semi-permanent collections that last around two and a half years, mostly focusing on 20th and 21st century works, and 2/3 temporary exhibitions per year that explore different segments of the Centre Pompidou’s collection such as photography, design, architecture, art, etc.

The museum is built on a surface area of 2,000 square metres, in a unique enclave: Muelle Uno, in the port of Malaga. The representative cube-shaped facade of this museum, created by the French artist Daniel Buren, makes it an iconic and perceptible place for anyone.

MUSEUM OF MALAGA

Among the museums in Malaga, this is the largest state museum located in Andalusia, with 18,402 square metres. It is located in the Antiguo Palace of the Aduana, a neoclassical style building from the end of the 18th century, built for the purpose of activating the Spanish maritime trade.

In this museum you will find more than 15,000 pieces, including archaeological objects and works of art, so its large permanent collection is clearly divided into two areas.

The art collection can be divided into three main sections: objects from the deposits made by the Academy of Fine Arts of San Telmo; the deposits made by the Prado Museum and the Reina Sofia Museum, and finally private donations from artists and private collectors.

In the archaeological section, some of the pieces are of different origins, some of them being difficult to locate their original benefactor. Another large nucleus of pieces come from the excavations carried out in the Alcazaba of Malaga (a few metres from the museum) and from the German Archaeological Institute in the province of Malaga.

Opening hours: Mon – Sun from 09:00 am to 09:00 pm/ Sun and holidays from 09:00 am: to 3:00 pm
Plaza Aduana, s/n  29015  Malaga

RUSSIAN MUSEUM

As with the Centre Pompidou, the Russian Museum in Malaga is the only branch of the State Russian Museum outside its home city of St. Petersburg, which has more than 400,000 works from different periods by Russian artists, including icons, portraits, landscapes, scenes from everyday life and large canvases with historical themes…

The headquarters in Malaga was opened in 2014, has 2,300 square metres and is located in the old Tabacalera building, which was the Royal Tobacco Factory of Malaga.

Following the line of the St. Petersburg museum, in this one it will be possible to see long-term works (approximately one year) that will cover the history of Russian art and its changing relationship with European culture, as well as other temporary works that complement what has been seen in the previous ones.

With the aim of showing visitors Russian culture, this museum also has an auditorium, projection rooms, children’s workshops, a reading room with reference books…

Opening hours: Mon – Sun from 09:30 am to 08:00 pm
Avenida Sor Teresa Prat, nº 15  Edif. Tabacalera 29003  Malaga

AUTOMOBILE AND FASHION MUSEUM

Located in the Tabacalera Building, like the Russian Museum, in this museum you can see an exhibition that reflects the evolution of automobiles since the end of the 19th century.

Through its 13 rooms you will be able to enjoy exclusive collectors’ cars of such renowned brands as Hispano Suiza, Bugatti, Delage, Packard, Auburn, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, Mercedes and Ferrari, among others… in total more than 100 vehicles.

Pictures provided by Automobile and Fashion Museum

But the authenticity of this museum is that in addition to this exhibition, it also has more than 200 pieces of haute couture fashion, which you can see during the tour of the exhibition.

Opening hours: Mon – Sun from 10:00 am to 02:30 pm and from 4:00 to 7:00 pm
Avenida Sor Teresa Prat, nº 15  Edif. Tabacalera 29003  Malaga

CAC MALAGA

Among the museums in Malaga, especially those with artistic themes, the CAC ( Contemporary Art Centre) is the one that differs the most from the others, as it focuses exclusively, as its name suggests, on contemporary art.

The CAC is a cultural initiative of the Malaga City Council. With a surface area of 2,400 square metres, this museum has 5 rooms for its permanent and temporary collections and for other activities, with the art of the 20th and 21st centuries as its only theme.

Pictures provided by CAC Malaga

The permanent collection of this museum is made up in part by the acquisition programme of Malaga City Council and in part by private collectors. In this collection you can appreciate the commitment to works from the 1950s onwards, by renowned artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Art & Language, Olafur Eliasson, Thomas Hirschhorn, Damian Hirst…

Opening hours: Mon – Sun from 09:00 am to 09:30 pm
Calle Alemania, s/n  29001  Malaga

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