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Welcome to Cuba Museums Guide,
the fullest FREE source of information about museums in Cuba
and their permanent and traveling exhibitions. We hope our guide brings you
useful information of Cuba museums, arts and culture of Cuba.
Our Special Recommendation
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National Fine Arts Museum
Its construction was completed in 1953, three
years later it received the collections of the then National Museum. It
was built on the site of the former Mercado del Polvorin. Architect
Alfonso Rodríguez Pichardo designed a very modern building for the time.
It was the final solution to provide a permanent seat to the National
Museum, which bad been created by decree in 1913, but was wandering from
one place to another in the city without government support. The Palace
of Fine Arts houses the largest collection of Cuban plastic art. There
is a hall dedicated to the Cuban painting and gravure from the 16th
century up to now. |
Museums of the Week
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The Academy of Natural, Physical and Medical Sciences of
Havana settled in this location in 1861, just where the wise Cuban
doctor announced the world in 1881 he had discovered the vector that
transmitted the yellow fever. In 1923 a group called “the 13” gathered
there for rallies. The rooms of the museum portrait a general overview
of science in Cuba, the history of the Royal Academy of Sciences of
Havana, and the involvement of medical professionals in the independence
wars. General background of the development of science in Cuba. Summary
of international sciences. Pharmacy development in Cuba in the 19th
century. Library with more than 95 000 books. Historical archive.Type:
Science Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Cuba No. 460 e/ Amargura y Teniente Rey. Ciudad
de La Habana.
Open: Monday to Saturday. |
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The
old colonial home that houses The Arabian House, in the very heart of
Old Havana, is itself a great example of the strong Moorish influence on
Cuban architecture since the 18th century.
The red-brick arcade, the form of the ceilings and galleries, and the
ample inner patio decked with plants and flowers epitomize the Mudejar
construction style brought over to Cuba by Spanish master builders. The
halls boast marquetry pieces with ivory and precious wood inlays;
practical and sumptuous robes worn by Saharan nomads; remarkable camel
saddles; exquisite rugs and tapestries, and an exact replica of an Arab
market place.
Also on display is one of Nature's wonders: a desert rose, a calcareous
formation resembling a flower that occurs on sandy soils when
evaporation causes salts to concentrate. Eighteenth and nineteenth
century weapons, gold and silver plated and with intricate ornaments,
form one of the most complete collections in the country.
Also of note, The Arab House is the only place in Havana which houses a
Moslem prayer room (complete with the Koran and other religious
objects), open to local and foreign believers.There are also Islamic
weapons from the 18th-19th centuries. They are plated with gold and
silver, carefully decorated, and form one of the most complete
collections in the country. It is the only place where there is a room
for Muslim prayers, and it is open to national and foreign believers,
with a collection of the Koran and other cult objects.The Arabian House
is the headquarters of the Museum of Perfumes that exhibits collections
from bottles of perfumes found in archeological excavations of the 19th
century to different perfume lines and dressing table items from the
beginning of the century and today. It has a specialized restaurant in
Arabian cuisine.
Type: Other Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Oficlos e/ Obispo y Obrapia, Habana Vieja.Open:
Tuesday to Saturday. |
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The
museum's collection was compiled during the 19th century by the eminent
Cuban scientist Felipe Poey and now occupies the ground floor of the
Felipe Poey building on the campus of Havana University. It contains
unique pieces, such as fish preserved personally by Poey in the first
half of the 19th century, the smallest bird in the world, a stuffed
specimen of an extinct species of pigeon, and 1 B endemic Cuban birds
that are part of the country's largest collection. There are also
specimens of living fossils such as the alligator gar and exotic animals
like the primitive almiqui.
This museum is of great historical and scientific importance because it
was the fist of its kind in Cuba and because most of its specimens were
collected personally by outstanding scientists like Don Carlos de la
Torre, Grundlach, and Felipe Poey.It has a historical and scientific
value not only because it was the first founded in Cuba, but also
because of its genuine collections and samples that were mostly
exclusively collected by well-known scientists around the world
(Sponges, Shells, Fish, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Mammals, Birds,
Reptiles). It contains unique pieces, such as fish preserved personally
by Poey in the first half of the 19th century, the smallest bird in the
world, a stuffed specimen of an extinct species of pigeon, and 1 B
endemic Cuban birds that are part of the country's largest collection.
Type: Natural History Museum.Address:
Edificio Felipe Poey, Planta Baja, Plaza Ignacio Agramonte, Universidad
de la Habana, Vedado. |
MUSEUMS IN HAVANA
Old
Havana contains most of the interesting
attractions that a tourist will be interested in seeing. This area is a
maze of narrow streets filled with colonial architecture. Here is where
you will find anything of historical significance as well as most of the
museums in Havana. If you are looking for ambiance and
culture, stay in Old Havana! Almost all of the hotels were built at the
beginning of the century but have been renovated recently.
Artistic
Ceramic Museum
Located at the Castillo de la Real
Fuerza (Castle of the Royal Force). There are works by artists such as
Amelia Pelaez, Wilfredo Lam, Rene Portocarrero, Rodriguez de la Cruz,
and various representatives of the new generations of Cuban ceramists.
Type: Arts Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle O´Relly No. 2 y Ave. del Puerto. La Habana Vieja.
Ciudad de La Habana.
Museum of Colonial Art
It is the former house of Count
Casa Bayona, built by 1720 and privileged located across from the
Cathedral of Havana. It is also considered to be the first residence
that was built with a stately style of the 18th century in such square.
The house distinguishes itself from the surrounding buildings in the
Cathedral Square for the absence of arcades. Its great facades show the
Cuban colonial architecture. lts ceilings resemble a Spanish mudejar
decoration. Luis Chacón lived in it when, he was part of the island’s
government, at the beginning of the l8th century. It was a house until
the end of the l9th century; then, the headquarters of the College of
Actuaries and, afterwards, the news room and printing shop of the “La
Discusión newspaper. In 1935, the Arrechabala rum company installed its
warehouses and offices here, as well as a private bar that was very busy
in those days. Once restored, the Museum of Colonial Arts was installed
in it in 1969.
In the rooms of the museum there is an important representation of the
decoration and furniture of the biggest colonial mansions of Havana from
the l7th to the 19th centuries. Furniture. Glassware. Porcelain. Grille.
Doors. Carriage. Stained glass windows and fornalete, art style that was
especially developed during the colonization.
Type: Arts Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle San Ignacio No. 61 e/ Empedrado y O´Reilly,
Plaza de la Catedral. La Habana Vieja. Ciudad de La Habana.
Open: All days.
Museum of Religious Art
It contains original works in the Havana
school of gold and silver work, a varied collection of pieces of old
ceramics, antique furniture and a collection of 18th- and 19th-century
missals.
Type: Arts Cuba Museums.Address: Calle
Oficios e/ Amargura y Churruca. Ciudad de La Habana.
National Museum of
Music
Built in 1905 for merchant Francisco Pons, the
house became the residence of me Pérez de la Riva family up to 1936. In
that year it was acquired by the Cuban government to install the
Secretary of State. In 1981 it was restored to settle down the Music
National Museum. Its collections store folk instruments, scores of
fundamental pieces of our country, music machines, etc. The facade is of
stalls, imitating the Italian Renaissance. Their interiors were eclectic
in styles, but maintaining the sobriety and the elegance characteristic
of one of the best Havana residences in principles of the 20th century.
It portraits the historical development of the Cuban music and its
instruments from the 16th to 20th century. History of the Cuban and
international music. Musical instruments. Works of art. Scores.
Type: Arts Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Capdevila No. 1 e/ Aguiar y Habana. La Habana
Vieja. Ciudad de La Habana.Open: Tuesday to Saturday.
National Museum
of Fine Arts
Its construction was completed in 1953,
three years later it received the collections of the then National
Museum. It was built on the site of the former Mercado del Polvorin.
Architect Alfonso Rodríguez Pichardo designed a very modern building for
the time. It was the final solution to provide a permanent seat to the
National Museum, which bad been created by decree in 1913, but was
wandering from one place to another in the city without government
support. The Palace of Fine Arts houses the largest collection of Cuban
plastic art. There is a hall dedicated to the Cuban painting and gravure
from the 16th century up to now.
Type: Fine Art Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Trocadero e/ Zulueta y Monserrate. Ciudad de La
Habana.Open: Tuesday to Sunday.
"Simón Bolívar"
House
It’s an old domestic palace from the
early 19th century with marked neoclassical style. Since 1993 it is a
center for the promotion of Latin American history and culture. Its
rooms show he life and work of Simón Bolivar, a wide collection of
Venezuelan contemporary plastic arts as well as craftworks from the
South American continent. It also has a library specialized in that
region.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Mercaderes No. 156 e/ Obrapía y
Lamparilla. Ciudad de La Habana.Open: Tuesday to
Saturday.
Armería 9 de
Abril
It was an old sports armory shop
linked to the armed actions that led to the victory of the revolution.
It was specially linked to the general revolutionary strike of April
9,1958. During this action, the shop was stormed by young fighters to
obtain weapons for the revolutionary forces. The museum shows the
original use of the place, se well as pieces associated with, the
insurrection. It promotes sports hunting and fishing in Havana.Type:
Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Mercaderes No. 157 e/ Lamparilla y Obrapía.
Ciudad de La Habana.
Granma Memorial
Under the protection of a huge display
case, the museum exhibits the “Granma” Yacht, boat used by Fidel Castro
and over eighty combatants on their return to Cuba form the exile in
Mexico to engage in the rebel fight.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Refugio No. 1 e/ Monserrate y Zulueta. La Habana
Vieja. Ciudad de La Habana.
Open: Every day.
House of
Alejandro de Humboldt
It was owned by the Recio Family, and
me current construction dates back to early 19tb century. In the 20th
century it was used for commercial work. Devoted today to recalling the
stay of the German scientist in the city, his research or our nature and
Cuba’s social problems, as well as his relevance in the development of
world science. It hosts scientific events and others of its kind.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Oficios No. 254 esq. a Muralla. Ciudad de La
Habana.
Open: Tuesday to Saturday.
House of Benito Juarez
Built towards the end of the l8th
century, it was the property of the Pedroso Family, which belonged to
the Havana oligarchy, and was the promoter of the Western Railroad.
Today, it’s devoted to promote the Mexican history and culture through
interesting collections, as well as to explaining the friendly bonds
between Cuba and Mexico. It is the seat of the "Alfonso Reyes"
specialized library, with more than five thousand texts on the sister
nation.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Obrapía No. 116 esq. a Mercaderes. La Habana
Vieja. Ciudad de La Habana.
Open: Tuesday to Saturday.
House of Jose Lezama
Lima
Located in a building that was for
apartment leasing. And Jose Lezama Lima and his mother leased one of
such apartments. Since he was 30, he lived there until he died. There he
wrote his outstanding poems and most famous novels. There is also is a
great personal collection of art works, gifts of his friends Victor
Manuel, Mariano Rodriguez, Rene Portocarrero, among others. They all
create pleasant atmosphere in every corner of the house.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Trocadero No. 162 e/ Industria y Consulado.
Ciudad de La Habana.
Open: Tuesday to Sunday.
House of La Obra
Pía
Former residence owned by the Spanish
Captain Martin Calvo de la Puerta. There is no doubt it was one of the
most beautiful houses during the colonization. It was the result of the
mixture and reconstruction of two houses that were next door to each
other; then later refurbished when some new elements and forms of the
so-called “Cuban baroque style” were introduced. Its name –as the street
where its façade faces to- is because it was established in 1669 by
Martin Calvo de la Puerta de una Obra Pia, in order to provide economic
support to five orphan ladies every year to have a family.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Obrapía No. 158 esq. a Mercaderes. Ciudad de La
Habana.
House of Silver
Work
Silversmith Gregorio Tadares had his
residence and workshop here since 1707. The current construction dates
from the first quarter of the 19tf, century, having had diverse uses and
proprietors since then. After 1959 a coinage workshop was established
here. In 1996 it reopens its doors as Casa de la Orfebrería (House of
Silver work), for exhibiting valuable collections of artistic pieces and
just common use, which show the high quality of these works in Cuba. It
is also the seat of the San Eloy Silversmith Congregation. A jewelry
occupies part of the ground floor.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Obispo No. 113 e/ Oficios y Mercaderes. Ciudad
de La Habana.
José Martí's
House
Built between 1810 and 1812. José Martí
was born here on January 28, 1853, and lived in it the first 3 years of
his life. Martí’s mother lived in this house up to 1907. Declared
National Monument for it was the house of the prominent Cuban patriot.
The museum was officially opened in 1925 and it has personal belongings,
manuscripts, testimonies, books, and other effects that belonged to the
outstanding pro-independence fighter, including his political, social
and literary active life (History of Cuba, José Martí’s personal
belongings, Biography of the National Hero).
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Leonor Pérez (Paula) No. 314 e/ Picota y Egido.
Ciudad de La Habana.
Open: Tuesday to Saturday.
Museum of Cigar
It dates from the 18th century and is
the only building in Cuba that harbors a museum to show the tobacco
culture on the island. Its exhibition includes tools for the processing
of tobacco leaves pipes, lighters and other items of the art of smoking
besides a vast collection, of lithographic stones and rings of
prestigious cigar brands. The Museum also has a shop, specialized on
Cuban cigars.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Mercaderes No. 120 e/ Obispo y Obrapía. Ciudad
de La Habana.
Open: Tuesday to Saturday.
Car Museum
Built for a warehouse in, 1891 in,
neoclassical style. The Office of the Historian decided to exhibit a
collection, of old cars here. The most attractive pieces are the
classics in the history of the automobile, the oldest ones, or a modal
linked to a certain personality. It is a place close to all, unique in
the city.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Oficios No. 12 y Callejón de Jústiz. La Habana
Vieja. Ciudad de La Habana.
Open: All days.
Farmacia Museo
Taquechel
An old house which was turned into a famous
pharmacy in 1898. In 1996 it was restored as a singular Museum with a
large collection of flasks made of French 19th century porcelain, and
both pharmacy and laboratory items. It also sells natural potions for
therapeutical use and homeopathic medications.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Obispo No. 155 e/ San Ignacio y Mercaderes.
Ciudad de La Habana.
Open: All days.
Museum of Command
Headquarters
Exhibition on aspects of the importance and
life of the Commander Ernesto Che Guevara, particularly in the different
stages of national insurgence, and his internationalist backgrounds in
El Congo and Bolivia. Belongings of the outstanding guerrilla Ernesto
Che Guevara.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Fortaleza La Cabaña. Ciudad de La Habana.
Open: All days.
Museum of the City
It is located at the former headquarters of
the Generals of the Army (Capitanes Generales) of the Island during the
colonization. It has collections that illustrate a historical background
of the city since it was founded up to the present times. The most
important rooms exhibit the Cuban wars for the national independence.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Tacón No. 1 e/ Obispo y O´Reilly. Ciudad de La
Habana.
Museum of the
Revolution
It’s the work of architects Maruri, of Cuba,
and Jean Beleu, of Belgium, who came up with an eclectic design, which
harmoniously combines Spanish, French and German architectural elements.
It was originally designed to house the Provincial Government of Havana,
but it was finished in 1920 to be the Presidential Palace. It was the
headquarters of the Cuban government for 40 years. It witnessed how the
politicians of the time maneuvered the destiny of a nation, trapped in
contradictions between the national interests and the official politics
committed to the United States. On March 13, 1957 a group of university
students stormed the Presidential Palace with the aim of executing
dictator Fulgencio Batista. The assault failed and most of the young
attackers got killed. This episode, together with the attack on the
Moncada Barracks, were the corner stores of the last stage of Cuban
insurrection. Today the Presidential Palace harbors the Museum of te
Revolution, which presents a rich exhibit that covers from the rise of
the Cuban nation till our days (History of Cuba, Archeology, Weapons,
Paintings and sculptures). The “Granma” Memorial can be found outside
the museum. Such memorial is an enormous glass display case that shows
the ship used by Fidel Castro and more than eighty combatants to return
to Cuba from the exile in Mexico.
Type: Historic Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Refugio No. 1 e/ Monserrate y Zulueta. Ciudad de
La Habana.
Open: Every day.
Historical Museum of
Sciences "Carlos J. Finlay"
The Academy of Natural, Physical and Medical
Sciences of Havana settled in this location in 1861, just where the wise
Cuban doctor announced the world in 1881 he had discovered the vector
that transmitted the yellow fever. In 1923 a group called “the 13”
gathered there for rallies. The rooms of the museum portrait a general
overview of science in Cuba, the history of the Royal Academy of
Sciences of Havana, and the involvement of medical professionals in the
independence wars. General background of the development of science in
Cuba. Summary of international sciences. Pharmacy development in Cuba in
the 19th century. Library with more than 95 000 books. Historical
archive.
Type: Science Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Cuba No. 460 e/ Amargura y Teniente Rey. Ciudad
de La Habana.
Open: Monday to Saturday.
Museum of Archaeology
Created in 1987 for the archaeological
research of the Historical Center. It helps recover material assets of
Old Havana and offers an interpretation of their past and evolution. Its
staff is highly specialized in urban archaeology, mural painting,
restoration and conservation, as well as in other disciplines. It also
works as a museum, with archaeological samples from Cuba and other
American countries. It s seated or an important 17th century building.
It’s roomy and has valuable works on ceilings and balconies, besides
decorations with mural paintings which are unique in the Historical
Center.
Type: Science Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Tacón No. 12 e/ O´Reilly y Empedrado.
Ciudad de La Habana.
Open: Tuesday to Saturday.
National Museum of
Natural History
The National Natural History Museum was
substantially reorganized in 1986, with a research in the fields of
geology, paleontology, botany, and zoology. This formulation included
clear statements on the responsibility of the Museum for the
preservation and care of such collections in perpetuity, and on its
unique potential for public education in environmental issues. It became
probably the only institution with this profile in the Caribbean basin.
The Museum's building is located facing the southern side of Plaza de
Armas, near the Havana harbor. The Plaza and its immediate surroundings
are a markedly historical environment, characterized by a beautiful
central park, numerous museums, the provincial library, monuments,
concert halls, bookstores, restaurants, coffee-shops, and old style
hotels. Vehicle transit within the Plaza is not permitted, so visitors
approaching the Museum by car or bus must walk about 1 or 2 hundred
meters from a nearby parking space.
It is the most important institution of its kind
throughout the country because of its wide range of rich collections.
There are rooms for Cuban flora and fauna and other regions of the
planet, including valuable archeological, mammal, fossil and mineral
samples, and informative materials about the evolution of the Earth. The
National Natural History Museum engaged itself in a broad international
scientific collaboration project, and has been able to make significant
contributions by participating, not only in Cuba, but also in many
countries of the Caribbean basin, in inventories of biodiversity,
assessments of environmental impact, important paleontologic and
paleogeographic research, and in multidisciplinary teams to set up new
protected natural areas. Itinerant exhibits of Cuban Nature were set up
in collaboration with other museums, and a wide program of public
broadcast dedicated to environmental education have been undertaken by
the staff.
Type: Natural History Museum.
Address: Calle Obispo No. 61, Plaza de Armas. La Habana Vieja.
Ciudad de La Habana.
Arabian House
The old colonial home that houses
The Arabian House, in the very heart of Old Havana, is itself a great
example of the strong Moorish influence on Cuban architecture since the
18th century.
The red-brick arcade, the form of the ceilings and galleries, and the
ample inner patio decked with plants and flowers epitomize the Mudejar
construction style brought over to Cuba by Spanish master builders. The
halls boast marquetry pieces with ivory and precious wood inlays;
practical and sumptuous robes worn by Saharan nomads; remarkable camel
saddles; exquisite rugs and tapestries, and an exact replica of an Arab
market place.
Also on display is one of Nature's wonders: a desert rose, a calcareous
formation resembling a flower that occurs on sandy soils when
evaporation causes salts to concentrate. Eighteenth and nineteenth
century weapons, gold and silver plated and with intricate ornaments,
form one of the most complete collections in the country.
Also of note, The Arab House is the only place in Havana which houses a
Moslem prayer room (complete with the Koran and other religious
objects), open to local and foreign believers.
There are also Islamic weapons
from the 18th-19th centuries. They are plated with gold and silver,
carefully decorated, and form one of the most complete collections in
the country. It is the only place where there is a room for Muslim
prayers, and it is open to national and foreign believers, with a
collection of the Koran and other cult objects.The Arabian House is the
headquarters of the Museum of Perfumes that exhibits collections from
bottles of perfumes found in archeological excavations of the 19th
century to different perfume lines and dressing table items from the
beginning of the century and today. It has a specialized restaurant in
Arabian cuisine.
Type: Other Cuba Museums.
Address: Calle Oficlos e/ Obispo y Obrapia, Habana Vieja.
Open: Tuesday to Saturday. |
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