Guide to the Museum of Malaga
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Updated: August 2026
Malaga’s largest museum took 20 years to open. For two decades, thousands of priceless pieces such as Roman mosaics, Moorish ceramics, 19th-century paintings, a 600BC Corinthian helmet found under a city-centre street, sat in storage boxes while the city waited.
The Museum of Malaga finally opened in December 2016 inside the Palacio de la Aduana, a neoclassical customs house built between 1791 and 1829. It is now the largest museum in Andalusia and the fifth largest in Spain, with 15,000 archaeological pieces in its collection and 200 artworks on display across two floors.
It was worth the wait.
Read our guide to what to see at the Museum of Malaga, the practicalities around organising your visit plus our pick of the best on show.
Good to know
- Perfect for: History lovers, art enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to understand Malaga’s own story — from prehistoric cave paintings to 19th-century Malaga painters.
- Opening hours: Tue–Sat 9am–9pm, Sundays and public holidays 9am–3pm. Closed Mondays.
- Admission: Free for EU citizens (proof of nationality may be required). €1.50 for non-EU visitors.
- Time to allow: At least 1 hour for a brisk visit; 2 hours to see the collection properly.
- Photography: Permitted throughout the museum for personal use. Flash photography is not allowed.
- Families: The museum is not interactive — there is nothing to touch — so better suited to older children with an interest in history or art.
- Accessibility: All areas of the museum are fully accessible by lift.
- The tall palms outside – perhaps the tallest in the city and a lovely frontage to the museum. Don’t miss the scent from the orange trees below at street level in early spring.
- The interior patio, with palms in each corner and a great venue for free concerts throughout the year.
- The sweeping marble staircase – take a moment at ground level to check out the installation showing key archaelogical sites in the province.
- The unique roof tiles — printed with the Malaga skyline, visible as you move through the upper galleries.
- The Corinthian helmet — found during building work on Calle Jinetes, near the Cervantes Theatre, in the 1980s. Dating from around 600BC, it’s one of the oldest objects in the collection and one of the most extraordinary.
- Allegory of Malaga (Ferrándiz y Badenas / Muñoz Degrain, 1870) — a panoramic painting showing the key monuments of 19th-century Malaga. The same painting appears on the ceiling of the Cervantes Theatre.
- And she had a heart! (Simonet, 1890) — one of the most visited paintings in the collection, and one of the most discussed.
Perfect for: history lovers, art enthusiasts and curious visitors who want to understand Malaga’s own story.
Is it worth the visit? Yes, and not just because it’s free for many visitors. The building alone is worth an hour of anyone’s time, and the collection covers 600BC to the 20th century without ever feeling like a dutiful march through history.
Better late than never
The Museum of Malaga took a long time to arrive. The last venue housing Malaga’s art and archaeological treasures was the Palacio de Buenavista that closed in 1996 to undergo restoration work for the Picasso Museum. After that, the thousands of priceless pieces were stored in boxes, out of sight. Until 20 years later when the new museum opened in mid-December 2016.
This is no small museum. The Museum of Malaga ranks as the fifth largest in Spain and the largest in Andalusia. Its exhibits – both those on display and those behind the scenes – run to thousands and art experts believe the collection to be one of the best in the country.
Emblematic building
One of the best things about museums in Malaga is the buildings they’re housed in. Take the Picasso Museum and the Carmen Thyssen Museum, for example. Both are stunning examples of historic palaces. The Museum of Malaga is no exception.
Although slightly younger than other museum buildings, the Palacio de la Aduana makes up in presence for what it lacks in age. Building work for a customs house started in 1791, but a succession of construction issues meant that completion wasn’t until 1829.
The enormous building in a neoclassical style was first used as a tobacco factory before it became a customs house in 1835 and later government offices. This is where foreigners – including Joanna, our CEO! – had to go to get their work permits before Spain became a fully-fledged member of the EU in the late 1990s.
The Palacio de la Aduana has four floors with a total floor space of 15,400 square metres plus an imposing patio complete with several giant palms, like those outside the main entrance. All this space, floored in quality parquet and based around a stunning central stairwell, turns out to be perfect for a museum.
What’s on show at the Museum of Malaga
A lot is the short answer. The Museum has 15,000 archaeological pieces in its stores and 2,000 are on display. Visitors can see 200 of the 2,000 art works. All are spread over two floors and (we think) exceptionally well curated.
Archaeological finds
The Museum suggests you start your visit on the second floor, home to the treasures unearthed at different places in Malaga province. This floor starts with the Casa-Loring collection, a unique set of Roman sculptures and the origin of the Museum of Malaga. Originally housed in the Concepción Botanical Gardens, this lovely display of Roman marble welcomes visitors and provides the starting point.
You then travel further back in time to prehistoric times in Malaga – don’t miss the video showcasing key cave paintings. The Phoenicians are next and finds here include an extraordinary Corinthian-style helmet from 600BC found in Calle Jinetes near the Cervantes Theatre.
The Romans take pride of place in the largest gallery where the Moorish presence in Malaga share the limelight. We liked the mosaics and the dry-cord technique on the pottery.
Malaga Art
On the first floor – on your way down, don’t miss the central stairwell light showcasing the best archaeological sites in Malaga province – art takes centre stage. Unless you’re a local or a fan of Malaga art you probably won’t recognise many of the artists on display here, but don’t let the lack of famous names put you off. There’s a wealth of local talent here, particularly from the 19th century when Malaga was one of the art centres in Spain.
Make your way through religious paintings and artefacts – don’t miss the 16th century ceiling corbels – to seascapes, Impressionist-type works and an impressive display of modern art. Picasso features, of course, and there’s an interesting section on his influence on local artist José Moreno Villa.
Malaga city features in surprisingly few works. Don’t miss the Allegory of Malaga showing key monuments for 19th century citizens (the same painting is on the ceiling at the Cervantes Theatre) and La Corracha depicting the Alcazaba Fortress in the 19th century when it was a residential area.
Must-see highlights at the Museum of Malaga
Museum of Malaga Practicalities
Length of visit – Allow at least one hour to visit the Museum of Malaga. If you want to see the exhibits in detail, allow at least 2.
Opening times – Tuesday to Saturday 9am to9pm; Sundays and public holidays 9am to 3pm
Admission – Free for EU citizens (you may need to show proof), €1.50 for non-EU citizens.
Suitability for children – this isn’t an interactive museum and there’s nothing to touch so not the best thing to see in Malaga with children.
Accessibility – All areas of the museum are fully accessible.
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