Museums · Málaga · Spain
6 best museums in Málaga
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Fernando, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Museo Picasso Málaga, Carmen Thyssen Museum and Museo de Málaga. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 7–9 hours across 3 areas; 1 is free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 7–9 hours
- Areas
- Centro Histórico, La Merced and Lagunillas and Soho
Museums in Málaga
Museum · Centro Histórico
1.Museo Picasso Málaga
Opened in 2003 in the 16th-century Palacio de Buenavista, the museum holds more than 200 works by Picasso donated by his family, spanning his whole career from early academic studies to late ceramics.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
Gallery · Centro Histórico
2.Carmen Thyssen Museum
Set in the 16th-century Palacio de Villalón, the museum focuses on 19th-century Spanish painting, especially Andalusian scenes of bullfighters, flamenco dancers and landscapes, along with works by Sorolla and Zuloaga.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Centro Histórico
3.Museo de Málaga
In the neoclassical Palacio de la Aduana, the former customs house below the Alcazaba, this museum combines a large fine-arts collection, including Andalusian painting of the 19th century, with archaeology from prehistory to the Moorish period.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · La Merced and Lagunillas
4.Museo Casa Natal Picasso
Picasso was born in 1881 in this house on Plaza de la Merced.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Gallery · Soho
5.CAC Málaga
The Contemporary Art Centre occupies a former wholesale market by the Guadalmedina river and stages changing exhibitions of international contemporary art.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
Museum · Centro Histórico
6.Interactive Music Museum
The Museo Interactivo de la Música displays hundreds of instruments from around the world, and many rooms invite visitors to play drums, guitars, pianos and percussion.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Centro Histórico | Museo Picasso Málaga, Carmen Thyssen Museum, Museo de Málaga and Interactive Music Museum | 1.5–2 hours + 1–1.5 hours + 1.5–2 hours + 1–1.5 hours |
| La Merced and Lagunillas | Museo Casa Natal Picasso | 45 minutes |
| Soho | CAC Málaga | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 1 free, 3 low cost, 2 mid-priced. Book ahead for Museo Picasso Málaga. The longest visit is Museo Picasso Málaga; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Museo Picasso Málaga: Book a timed ticket online in high season and on cruise-ship days.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Centro Histórico): Museo Picasso Málaga → Carmen Thyssen Museum, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Centro Histórico and La Merced and Lagunillas): Museo de Málaga → Interactive Music Museum → Museo Casa Natal Picasso, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Soho): CAC Málaga, at least 1 hour.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild, often sunny days ideal for sightseeing and walking, with cool evenings.
- February: highs of 18°C (64°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild and sunny between showers; almond blossom inland and carnival in the streets.
- November: highs of 20°C (68°F), about 6 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild with some rainy days; Calle Larios lights go up late in the month.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Centro Histórico — Marble streets, tapas bars and monuments around Calle Larios and the cathedral
- Soho — Street-art district between the old town and the port
- La Merced and Lagunillas — Picasso's birthplace square and a working-class district covered in murals
More of Málaga
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Málaga?
Museo Picasso Málaga. Opened in 2003 in the 16th-century Palacio de Buenavista, the museum holds more than 200 works by Picasso donated by his family, spanning his whole career from early academic studies to late ceramics.
+Which of these are free in Málaga?
CAC Málaga.