Spain is culture

Every July, August and September, the Ministry of Culture and Sport's museums offer a varied programme of summer activities for everyone. Concerts, guided tours, workshops, exhibitions and much more.

In a bid to promote the museum as a public service institution committed to quality and society, this year the state-run museums have organised a summer programme packed with possibilities. Many of them will offer both in-person and on-line activities. Check the website of each museum for more detailed information.

Activities in Madrid's museums

National Archaeological Museum:

Temporary exhibitions: “Around the Pillars of Hercules. Ancient relations between Morocco and Spain”, until 16 October 2022. CERO display case. “Pioneers”, until 3 July 2022; “The Lady’s Journey. 125 years since its discovery”, until 2 October 2022.

Courses and lectures: “Exhibits of the month: ‘Architects, materials and techniques’ series”: “Capitals in the Cloister of Santa María la Real in Aguilar de Campoo” (in-person, every Sunday in July, and virtual, 1 August); “Lady of Elche” (in-person, every Sunday in August, and virtual, 29 August).

Visits: Guided tours of the temporary exhibition: from 1 July to 8 September, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 and 17:30, and from 13 September to 14 October, from Tuesday to Friday at 11:30 and 17:30. Tour+workshop for families themed around the temporary exhibition, from 4 September to 16 October, Sundays at 11:00. Self-guided tours.

Special activities: Live broadcasting of the “Nabucco” opera from the Teatro Real, 15 July 2022.

Digital activities: “Do it at home”: games, worksheets, cut-outs and interactive resources.

National Anthropology Museum:

Summer concerts: “Cape Verdean music evenings”, Thursday 7, 14 and 21 July, at 20:30.

Temporary exhibitions: “Pilipinas Ngayon. Philippines Now”, until 18 September 2022. “The smoking mirror”, until 16 October. “We are AFRO!”, until 16 October. “Everything started in ‘84. Origins of graffiti in Spain”, until 16 October. (In)visible anthropology programme: from the warehouse to the shop window: “How we marry. Cultural diversity and marriage”, until 4 September. Interactive installation: “Destination: The Moluccas. The spice route”, until 28 August.

Activities and workshops: For children and families: Summer camp: “We are sustaining the planet!”, in July. In-person workshop: “Exploring…Africa. A calligram workshop”, 9 July. Games, workshops and activities: “Destination: The Moluccas. The spice route”, July and August. Workshops for adults.

Visits: Guided tours of the “World tour” permanent exhibition, every Saturday in July and August. Guided tours of the “Everything started in ‘84. Origins of graffiti in Spain” temporary exhibition. “Expomiércoles” programme, guided tours of the temporary exhibitions led by the authors and main characters, July and August. Dramatised visits: Silveria discovers Ramón y Cajal, Thursday 4 and 18 August and 1 September. Guided group tours.

Digital activities:  #Familias2.0 programme: on-line treasure hunts, videos and activities for families.

Sorolla Museum:

Special opening: for the month of July the museum is open until 22:30. “Summer nights at Sorolla Museum” programme, from 21 July until September, with free admission and guided tours of the collection and the temporary exhibitions.

Temporary exhibitions: “Sorolla and Benlliure. One friendship, two artists”, until 2 October 2022. “Sorolla in black”, from 11 July to 27 November 2022.

Visits: Tour+children’s workshop: “The home of Joaquín Sorolla”, every Saturday in July at 11:00 and 17:00. Guided tours of the museum.

Digital activities: on-line workshops, videos and interactive activities.

Costume Museum. C.I.P.E:

Courses and lectures: “Model of the month: Dress, Tom Ford for Gucci, 1996”. Friend Saturdays series.

Visits: Guided tours, Wednesdays and Fridays at 13:00. Group tours (general tours, store tours, themed tours and tours for the visually-impaired), Tuesday to Friday, with different morning and afternoon hours. 

Activities and workshops: “Summer at the Museum” programme for children: “In the context of music” and “Design your own t-shirt”, first two weeks of July. Self-guided tours for families.

Special activities: “Summer Thursdays”, guided tours in July and August, from 19:30 to 20:30.

Digital activities: “Take part. Social community”: meeting point for social media.

National Museum of Romanticism:

Concerts: “Whims of Romanticism”, series of concerts by the Katarina Gurska Foundation, Tuesday and Wednesday 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27 July, at 19:00.

Temporary exhibitions: “The Liberal Triennium IV: The bitter end. The one hundred thousand children of Saint Louis”, until 4 September. PhotoEspaña 2022: “Germaine Krull. Chronical of an exile”, until 25 September. “Jordi Socías. A specific look”, until 25 September. “A work of art, an opera”. Ronconi”, until 31 July.

Visits: “The museum’s families” themed tour, Thursdays in July and Friday 22 July, at 19:00. Guided tours of the museum. Tours of the “The Liberal Triennium IV” and “Germaine Krull. Chronical of an exile” temporary exhibitions.

Activities and workshops: tour+children’s workshop “Extra, extra! Celebrities in the museum!”, 8, 9, 15 and 16 July.

Digital activities: on-line children’s workshop “A story museum”.

Cerralbo Museum:

Concerts: “Independent courtyard”, independent music in the museum’s inner courtyard, 8 and 22 July, at 20:00. Live broadcasting of the “Nabucco” opera from the Teatro Real, 15 July at 20.45.

Temporary exhibitions: PhotoEspaña 2022: “Tina Modotti”, until 2 October.

Special activities: Cerralbo Centenary, 1922-2022. Birthday concert for the marquis: “Dúo Mousai. Music clips”, 8 July.

Courses and lectures: presentation of the book “Foreigners and tourists. A history of tourism in Spain (1880-1936)”

Visits: Guided tours of the museum. Guided tours of the temporary exhibition, Tuesdays and Wednesdays of August starting on the 9th.

Digital activities: Movie forum, podcast, virtual escape room and on-line games and resources for families.

National Museum of Decorative Arts:

Temporary exhibitions:“Hope and Utopia. Design from 1900-1939” (semi-permanent). “The modern desire. Furniture and interiors in 1930s Spain”, until 23 October.

Visits: self-guided tours of the temporary exhibitions.

Activities and workshops: summer camp “Objects: enigmas to be discovered”, July and August.

Courses and lectures: “Exhibit of the quarter: J. Laurent & co: Mercado de la Cebada and cast-iron architecture”, 3 July.

Special activities: themed tour of Madrid Pride 2022 “Marvels and oddities. Diversity and difference as added value in decorative art”, 1 July.

Digital activities: on-line tutorials, games, storytime, videos and activities for families.

Museum of the Americas:

Concerts: “Sara Van. Exile songbook”, 30 July at 12:00.

Temporary exhibitions: “Sorte, sector Sorte”, until 4 September. “A boat arrived from Havana…. Two conserved ceremonial maces from the city of Havana”, until 12 December. “Hyggelig inclusive art association”, until September.

Visits: guided tours of the temporary exhibition. European Culture Days: “The forgotten splendour. The Mayan city of Palenque”, Wednesdays and Fridays in July and August, from 12:00 to 14:00.

Activities and workshops: Summer school “What do you do? Let’s play jobs”, July.

 

Activities in Toledo and Valladolid's museums

El Greco Museum (Toledo):

Concerts: “Summer at El Greco Museum” series, Wednesday 20 and 27 July, and 3 August

Temporary exhibitions: Exhibition- competition for the students of the School of Arts and Crafts of Toledo, until September. “Picasso visits El Greco”, until 25 September. “Featured women”, until September 2022.

Visits: cultural tours, Tuesday to Friday at 12:00 and Wednesday at 17:00.

Activities and workshops: summer camp “Holidays with the marquis!”, from 5 to 8 July.

Sephardic Museum (Toledo):

Concerts: “Summer nights. Jazz Quartet Reunion Concert”, Saturday, 9 July at 22:00.

Digital activities: “Jews in the court of Alfonso X” virtual exhibition, “Jewish traditional food and festivities” audiovisual series, and virtual tours.

Cervantes House-Museum (Valladolid):

Activities and workshops: children summer camps “Cook it, eat it”, July.

Visits: “Catch these objects” self-guided interactive tour around the museum for children.

Digital activities: themed tours, workshop and downloadables for families. Reading tribute to Cervantes: “The last chapter. The last will and testament of Alonso Quijano”.

National Sculpture Museum (Valladolid):

Concerts and dance: “Stone, wood, bone. Neonymus”, for family groups, 21 July in the Museum’s gardens, at 20:30. “American essences. Ribera Quartet”, at the Colegio de San Gregorio, 27 July at 22:00. “Txalaparta_Hutsun. Hutsun”, at the Colegio San Gregorio, 31 August.

Temporary exhibitions: “The museum is undergoing a revamp. Old masters, different stories, new audiences.

Visits: guided tours. LGTBI + “Cuerpos al sol” themed tours, 2 and 3 July.

Activities and workshops: “Colour alchemy” children’s workshops, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12, 13, 19 and 20 July, at 11:00 in the museum’s gardens. Film screenings: “The nature of things. Art, cinema and matter”, from 2 to 4 August at 22:30 in the museum’s gardens.

Courses and lectures: "Material episodes”, daily talks with the museum’s employees, July and August, Tuesday to Friday at 12:00. “Appearances (AUG): The physicality and tactile qualities of Rubens”, 10 August at 12:00. “Art in transformation”, participatory art workshop to improve health and quality of life.

Digital activities: exhibition “Art in uncertain times. María Luisa Caturia”. “Times of melancholy” virtual tour.

 

Activities in Valencia, Cartagena, Mérida and Santillana del Mar’s museums

González Martí National Museum of Ceramics and Decorative Arts (Valencia):

Temporary exhibitions: “Toy houses”, until 28 August 2022.

Activities and workshops: “Toy houses” workshop, July.

Visits: Hands-on tours, educational tours and tour+workshops for children. Guided night tours, 23 July, when the museum will be open until midnight and admission will be free from 16:00 to 24:00.

Digital activities: “Do it at home”, virtual workshops, treasure hunts and on-line educational resources.

National Museum of Underwater Archaeology. ARQUA (Cartagena):

Visits: Free guided tours, Saturdays at 17:30. Free guided tours to the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes section, Sundays at 12:30. Self-guided tours for families.

Activities and workshops:“ARQVA NOSTRUM” summer school, July.

Digital activities: virtual storytime: “Mermaids, ghosts, monsters and other sea legends”. “#ARQVAaeiou” reading and writing project. Interactive activities and downloadables for families.

National Museum of Roman Art (Mérida):

Courses and lectures: series of conferences: “11th conference with the classics”, from 13 to 22 July 2022. UNED-MNAR “SPECTACULA: entertainment and shows in Rome” summer course, from 7 to 9 July. Female Stage Director Conferences, Festival of Classical Theatre of Mérida: “Syndromes and complexes: divine punishment?”, from 22 to 23 July.

Temporary exhibitions: “SPECTACULA: entertainment and shows in Rome”, until June 2023.

Visits: Guided tours of the temporary exhibition, every Thursday in July and August at 20:30.

Activities and workshops: children’s summer workshops “PHERSU. Beyond the mask” from 19 to 12 August

Digital activities: International Conference Series: “Cities of Roman Hispania II”. 

Altamira National Museum and Research Centre (Santillana del Mar):

Concerts: 21st Santander Music and Academia Conference, Friday 22 July at 20:30.

Temporary exhibitions: “.txtform. Juan López”, until 28 August. “Artists in the Land of Altamira”, live art, from 5 to 15 July.

Activities and workshops: “Altamira for families”, activities and experiences, in July and August, educational tours and self-guided activities. Experimental archaeology workshops for adults: every Sunday in July and September “Making a fire, making a home”, and every Sunday in August “Group hunting”, at 11:00 and 12:30.

Visits: “The museum at leisure”, walks and guided tours around the museum’s natural surroundings every Thursday in July, August and September at 12:00. #Themuseumatleisure herbarium, walk and foraging in the museum’s surroundings, Sundays 10 and 24 July, 7 and 21 August and 18 September at 12:00.

Courses and conferences: “Today we’re talking about…” series of conferences: “Taphonomic experiments”, 23 July, and “Paleolithic teeth”, 10 September, at 12:00.

Digital activities: Family tours and “Altamira from home programme”: sheets, activities, crafts and downloadables.