The 10 Best Museums in Bilbao

If you are planning to visit Bilbao, a cosmopolitan hub in Spain and a tourist destination that has grown exponentially in recent years, you will see a city that has transformed its purely industrial profile into a place with a wide range of attractions that draw millions of visitors every year.

The Guggenheim Museum, one of the most renowned in the country, was instrumental in making the city synonymous with culture, but it is not the only place offering exhibitions that are well worth seeing. Among the best things to do in Bilbao are visiting the Itsasmuseum and the San Mamés Stadium exhibition.

When it comes to a list of museums in Bilbao, it is impossible not to mention the Guggenheim, which is one of the most important cultural attractions in the world. Located on the banks of the Nervión River and inaugurated in 1997 in a building designed by architect Frank Gehry, it has become an icon of contemporary architecture.

Its titanium, glass and limestone structure has an undulating shape that evokes the image of a ship and reflects the city's rich maritime heritage.

Since its opening, this museum has profoundly changed the perception of the city, transforming it into an international cultural epicentre. Inside the building, you will find a rich collection of modern and contemporary art with works by artists such as Jeff Koons, with his famous sculpture Puppy, Richard Serra and Mark Rothko, among others.

Today, the museum is not only an exhibition space but also a centre for cultural, educational and artistic activities offering guided tours. If you want to get tickets for the Guggenheim, you'd better hurry up and book!

Useful information

• Price: from £13 for adults.
• Location: Avenida Abandoibarra 2, Bilbao.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00.

The Itsasmuseum, formerly known as the Bilbao Estuary Maritime Museum, is a cultural space dedicated to preserving and disseminating the maritime history of the city and its close relationship with the estuary and the sea. The museum is located in the former Euskalduna shipyards, an emblematic site that connects the industrial past of this destination with its more modern present.

Inside the Itsasmuseum, you can explore exhibitions that include model ships, shipyard tools and ancient artefacts related to navigation. It also offers interactive exhibitions that show the evolution of the port of Bilbao, maritime trade and shipbuilding over the centuries.

Details of interest

• Price: from £7 for adults.
• Location: Ramón de la Sota Kaia 1, Bilbao.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm.

The San Mamés Stadium Museum in Bilbao is a space dedicated to the history and legacy of Athletic Club, one of Spain's most iconic football teams and a fundamental part of Basque identity. Located in a stadium that is considered a global benchmark for sport, the museum offers visitors an immersive experience in the world of football and the rich tradition of Athletic.

Inside the museum, you will find a collection of trophies, historic shirts, photographs, videos and other items that tell the story of the club since its foundation in 1898. The exhibition highlights the display cases dedicated to the most glorious moments of Athletic Club, such as the numerous Copa del Rey trophies won and the legendary players who have played for the team.

Details of interest

• Price: from £19 for adults.
• Location: Rafael Moreno Pitxitxi s/n, Puerta 20, Bilbao.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm.

Although the Guggenheim redesigned the city's cultural profile when it opened at the end of the 20th century, Bilbao already had the Fine Arts Museum, which is also one of the most important of its kind in Spain. Founded in 1908, this museum houses an art collection that spans from the 13th century to the present day.

From Gothic and Renaissance works of art to contemporary art, the museum offers a wide range of paintings and sculptures , including pieces by great masters such as El Greco, Goya, Zurbarán and Van Dyck. This museum also stands out for the way it presents the works, offering a narrative that connects different periods and artistic styles.

Details of interest

• Price: admission is free.
• Location: Museo Plaza 2, Bilbao
• Opening hours: Wednesday to Monday from 10:00 to 20:00.

The Basque Country has historically had a chequered relationship with religion and its institutions, but that doesn't prevent Bilbao from having one of its most outstanding exhibitions in the Museum of Sacred Art. This exhibition, housed in the Convent of the Incarnation in the old quarter of the city, contains one of the most valuable collections of religious art in Spain.

In the museum's corridors you will find more than 2,000 pieces dating from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. The collection includes sculptures, paintings, liturgical ornaments, ancient books, gold and silverwork and altarpieces reflecting Basque and Spanish sacred art. Among the most outstanding works are Gothic sculptures of the Virgin Mary, Baroque crucifixes, chalices and monstrances in gold and silver.

In addition, the Bilbao Museum of Sacred Art has an important collection of medieval art that offers a comprehensive view of the religious devotion and symbolism of that period.

Details of interest

• Price: from £3 for adults.
• Location: Encarnacion Plaza, 9B, Bilbao.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00.

The Bilbao Bullfighting Museum is a space dedicated to the history and tradition of bullfighting in the city and the Basque Country. Located near the Vista Alegre Bullring, this museum offers a journey through the evolution of bullfighting through an extensive collection of objects, bullfighters' costumes, old posters, photographs and sculptures.

Opened in 1995, the museum seeks to preserve the memory of this centuries-old practice, offering visitors a complete overview of the world of bullfighting, from the great bullfighters who have passed through Bilbao to the elements that make up a bullfight. In the exhibitions , you can find costumes of iconic bullfighters such as Manolete and historical photographs of great performances at Vista Alegre.

Details of interest

• Price: from £3 for adults.
• Location: Martín Aguero 1, Bilbao.
• Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 10.30 am to 1 pm and from 4 pm to 6 pm. Friday from 10.30 am to 1 pm.

The Basque Museum in Bilbao, also known as Euskal Museoa, offers one of the city's most emblematic exhibitions, dedicated to preserving and disseminating the history and traditions of the Basque people. With a large collection of ethnographic, archaeological and artistic objects that provide a comprehensive overview of Basque life and identity throughout the centuries, it is one of the city's must-see attractions if you want to discover its cultural heritage.

The museum's exhibits range from agricultural and maritime tools used by the Basques throughout history to religious objects, traditional costumes and a remarkable selection of archaeological pieces. Among the most outstanding pieces is the Idol of Mikeldi, a mysterious prehistoric sculpture of an animal carved in stone.

Details of interest

• Price: from £7 for adults.
• Location: Unamuno Miguel Plaza 4, Bilbao.
• Opening hours: Wednesday to Monday from 10 am to 7 pm.

If you enjoy delving into the primitive origins of the cities you visit, then the Bizkaia Archaeological Museum is an unbeatable option. This exhibition is dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the archaeological heritage of the province of Bizkaia and offers a journey through the ancient history of the region, from prehistory to the Middle Ages.

The museum's main objective is to show how the inhabitants of this area of the Basque Country lived and evolved over the centuries, using archaeology as a tool to reconstruct the past. Its modern facilities contrast with the history it contains, making it a place where the ancient and the contemporary merge.

Details of interest

• Price: from £3.50 for adults.
• Location: Mallona Galtzada 2, Bilbao.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm and from 4.30 pm to 7 pm.

Although its premise is somewhat alternative, the Bilbao Museum of Reproductions is a unique space in the city dedicated to exhibiting faithful reproductions of some of the most important masterpieces in the history of art. With an unbeatable level of detail, this exhibition allows you to admire exact copies of sculptures and classic works.

The museum's aim is to bring the general public closer to the great works of universal art. In its rooms, you will find iconic sculptures such as Michelangelo's David, The Victory of Samothrace, Laocoön and many other key pieces of Greek, Roman and Renaissance sculpture.

Details of interest

• Price: from £3 for adults.
• Location: San Frantzisko Kalea 14, Bilbao.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:30 to 19:00.

The Basque Nationalism Museum is a space dedicated to studying and showcasing the history and evolution of this phenomenon, which is a political and cultural movement that has been key in shaping the identity of the Basque Country. Through a collection of historical documents and objects, it offers a journey through the foundations of Basque nationalism.

In the museum, you will find exhibitions that trace the main milestones of Basque nationalism, from its beginnings in the 19th century to the present day. Among the most notable objects are the first flags and symbols of the movement, as well as books, letters and pamphlets that helped shape the nationalist ideology.

The most influential and controversial figures of Basque nationalism are also explored, such as Sabino Arana, founder of the Basque Nationalist Party.

Bilbao is not only the economic and cultural capital of the Basque Country, but was also a key place in the formation of Basque nationalism in the late 19th century. If you would like to learn more about this topic, you can visit San Juan de Gaztelugatxe on an excursion from Bilbao. There you will find the Casa de Juntas de Gernika, one of the symbols of Basque freedom.

Interesting details

• Price: from £5 for adults.
• Location: Ibáñez de Bilbao Kalea 16, Bilbao.
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10 am to 2 pm.