Things to do in Province of Almeria, Andalucia: The Best Specialty Museums

The Museum was initially set up in a building on calle Javier Sanz, and shared the site with the School of Arts and Trades and subsequently with the "Celia Viñas" Secondary School. The name, Luis Siret, was added to the museum's name in tribute to the memory of this distinguished archaeologist. The collections and the museum were declared a Historical and Artistic Monument in 1962 (Decree no. 474 of 1 March). In 1979, the museum was transferred to the National Ministry of Culture which decided to adapt the former Colegio Menor de Santa María del Mar as the museum's new home, in 1981. It stands in this same square today. The inauguration took place on 22 October 1982. After that, it was called the Museum of Almería although this only became its official title in 1994. Because of the structural problems due to aluminosis, the building's poor state of conservation led to its closure to the public in 1991, although the museum's internal services continued to function. To reduce the impact of such a prolonged closure as much as possible, two permanent exhibitions were opened in 1995, with a small representative show of Prehistory and Ancient History in Almería outside the museum site, in two places at the Provincial Historical Archive and the Villaespesa Library. At a later date, a single exhibition was organised in the Villaespesa Library called "Archaeological Testimonies in the province of Almería". The Ministry of Culture decided to erect a new building on the same plot following the demolition of the old site. In the meantime, the inside areas were moved to buildings belonging to the Provincial Council, in the former Colegio Virgen del Pilar. Some of the storerooms were also moved there. The remaining items in storage were moved to the former Psychiatric Hospital. Architects Ángela García Paredes and Ignacio García Pedrosa were responsible for designing the new museum site. The result is a building in contemporary style. Its architectural design is primarily intended to provide a strategic makeover of the museum's location. The block, where it used to be, has been reorganised following the creation of a large public square that looks over the city, with an extensive gardened area intended as an area for relaxation. Inside, the spaces are impressively arranged to combine light, contrasting heights and aesthetics in attractive woodwork. The central space of the hall and double stairs give structure to the approach adopted in the architecture and museography, helping visitors to move freely on various themed tours. The building was awarded the PAD and ARCO 2004 prizes and was a finalist in the FAD awards in 2005. On 23 March 2006 the Prince and Princess of Asturias inaugurated the new site and opened the Museum of Almería to the public.

The Marble Interpretation Center is conceived as a cultural space where history, tradition, innovation and future harmoniously coexist to offer us a vision of the Macael marble culture. It fulfills a triple function as visitor reception center, tourist information point and interpretive space that enables a contextualization of the Macael marble culture. Inside there are 22 panels, with information in Spanish and English. Together with them, the exhibition of different pieces and elements contributes to making the visit more attractive, participative and experiential.

Le invitamos a participar en este espacio de encuentro donde descubriran y experimentaran las relaciones con el mar de forma respetuosa y de manera interactiva. Vivimos en un ecosistema maritimo-terrestre, en el que participamos, con el que interactuamos, y al que debemos entender, porque como decia Jacques Cousteau, -Solo amamos lo que conocemos-

The house got its name from one of its dwellers, a person well known by all of the town, whose occupation, among other things, was selling tobacco and various goods of everyday needs. Visitors of this old house of Mojácar get a chance of making a connection with the epoch of the first half of XX century and learn about history and culture of this remarkable town. 200 square metres of exposition, the house is more than 100 years old decorated with real things of the first half of the 20-th century. Instagram friendly

Este museo está especialmente dedicado a las cofradías virgitanas, pero también cuenta con interesantes piezas de religiosidad popular donadas por particulares, así como con los restos del tabernáculo de la antigua Iglesia de Berja (destruida en el terremoto de 1804) y con una réplica exacta del sarcófago romano de Alcaudique (cuyo original se encuentra en el Museo Arqueológico Nacional).