9 Best Museums in Spain and Where to Find Them

The Prado Museum is one of the world’s premier art galleries and can easily overwhelm and inspire with more than 7,000 paintings and 700 sculptures.

The architecture embodies the artwork, reflecting masterpieces in 100 rooms. You can view works dating back to the 12th century, with galleries dedicated to religious paintings, regal opulence, and civil life, as well as works by famous artists like El Greco, Goya, and Velázquez.

The Prado is one of the best museums to visit on Barcelona and Madrid Vacation Packages & Tours that take you to the capital of Madrid for immersive cultural discoveries.

Highlights: Las Meninas • Portrait of Charles V • Garden of Earthly Delights • El Tres de Mayo

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum captures the wide breadth of European artistic mastery, with works spanning the 13th to 20th centuries.

With approximately 1,000 paintings that feature medieval religious works, Renaissance portraits, Baroque glamor, Rococo prestige, and vibrant pop art, you can find a variety of art that embodies greater European heritage and culture.

Whether looking for Degas or Van Goh, El Greco or Buoninsegna, you can find incredible art in a single space as you explore the Spanish museum in Madrid, one of the 10 Best Places to Visit in Spain.

Highlights: Venus and Cupid • Saint Catherine of Alexandria • “Les Vessenots” in Auvers • Mata Mua

Contemporary art takes center stage in the Reina Sofia Museum, which displays Picasso’s Guernica, one of Spain’s most famous artworks. As another one of the best museums in Madrid, the Reina Sofia is a must-visit.

The primary collection captures the sentiments and shifting perspectives of the 20th century leading into the 1980s, featuring the likes of Dalí and Miró. With works embodying the avant-garde and the modern accentuated by a charming garden and inner courtyard, the Reina Sofia possesses more than 23,000 works, a true representation of Spanish art and spirit.

Exploring Spain’s artistic masterworks is one of the Top 10 Things to Do in Spain and there are few better places for it than the Reina Sofia Museum.

Highlights: Barre de bois cubique • Vetro di Murano e seta indiana • Water-Mirror of Granada • Interrupted Solitude • Guernica

Versatility exudes from the five medieval stone mansions that house the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, which you can visit on Barcelona Itineraries & Vacation Packages.

The unique setting imitates the distinctive properties of one of Spain’s best-known contemporary artists, with galleries that provide a timeline of Picasso’s formative years.

With courtyards and staircases that harness the artwork, you can quickly experience the innovation of the space, in addition to the originality of Picasso as a brilliant artistic mind.

Highlights: Retrato de la tía Pepa • Ciència i caritat • Woman with Bonnet • Terrats de Barcelona

The City of Arts and Sciences represents a feeling of the future on the city's edges. You can explore the Spanish museum on Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid Vacations & Tours that pass through the coastal city.

As an impressive center dedicated to reflecting, sharing, and exploring cultural and scientific exhibitions, it spreads across more than a mile of the Turia River, with elements of avant-garde design, panoramic views, and interactive galleries immersing you in the environment, technology, and oceanography.

Indulge in the fascinating worlds on display or simply stroll along the promenades and pools that surround the buildings as you experience the museum’s modern splendors.

Highlights: L’Hemisfèric • Palau de les Arts •  Umbracle • Oceanografic

The neo-Baroque facade of Palau Nacional crowns the summit of Monjuïc, its interior boasting an exceptional collection of Catalan art that spans centuries.

From the Middle Ages to the 20th century, with celebrated Romanesque frescoes, the galleries explore artistic history, but also reflect on symbols of Catalan identity through the ages.

Whether looking at Spanish masters like Velazquez or finding art in local names like Antoni Gaudi, every step provides a new perspective of Catalonia, perfect for Spain Family Vacations & Tours.

Highlights: The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew • Christ in Majesty • Virgin Mary and Christ Child • Martyrdom of St Vincent and Santa Eulàlia

History has a way of taking on an artistic perspective, with enticing lines and alluring stories captured in the preserved artifacts of the National Archeological Museum in Madrid.

Exhibits display rare ancient coins and ethnographic utensils, decorative arts, and spectacular archeological finds from across the Mediterranean.

The sweeping accumulation of relics reveals Spain’s historical depths, connected to greater Europe, with touches of ancient Rome to intricate Moorish jewelry adding to the romance on Spain Tours & Vacations for Couples.

Highlights: Cave Paintings of Altamira • Lady of Elx • Visigothic Votive Crowns • Crucifix of Ferdinand

There is no greater representation of Salvador Dali than the museum in Figueres. The castle supports giant eggs, regal statues, and plaster-covered croissants that embody surreal immortality.

The museum offers an assortment of creative expressions from Dali and several famous masterpieces representing the contemporary artist's larger-than-life spirit. As a truly unique Spanish art museum in a charming, underrated village, touring the Dali Theatre-Museum is a must on Spain Tours & Vacations for Seniors.

Highlights: The Spectre of Sex-appeal • Soft self-portrait with grilled bacon • Poetry of America — The Cosmic Athletes • Basket of Bread

The grandeur of the Fine Arts Museum of Seville stems from the vast collection of paintings that cover work from the Gothic period to the 20th century. The evocative historic convent that houses the museum galleries adds to the alluring ambiance in which they are displayed.

With an emphasis on grand religious paintings and canvases depicting scenes of typical Sevillian life, it is easy to experience the wonders in the collection that make for one of the finest museums in Spain. On Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville Tours, you can make room for the fabulous exhibits of the museum.

Highlights: Virgen de la Servilleta • Portrait of D. Cristóbal Suárez de Ribera • San Hugo en el Refectorio, Jesús crucificado • Sculpture of Saint Jerome

Spain Tours & Vacations let you experience ancient beauty and contemporary culture at the best museums in Spain. Masterpieces of art and architecture line the streets, demonstrating the distinctive history of the country, and a Spain travel specialist can customize your trip to create a more personal experience.

From exploring celebrated museums to indulging in world-famous tapas, you can find more inspiration for your vacation in our Spain Travel Guide.