Top Things to do in Cartagena
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Top 10 Museums in Cartagena, Region of Murcia
Discover the best top things to do in Cartagena, Spain including Cultural Center Ramon Alonso Luzzy, Museo Decumano, Museo Arqueologico Municipal, Museo Nacional de Arqueologia Subacuatica, Museo Del Teatro Romano, Museo Historico Militar de Cartagena, Museo Archeologico, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain, Museo Naval, Centro de Interpretacion de la Mina Las Matildes, Museo Muralla Bizantina.
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1. Cultural Center Ramon Alonso Luzzy
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
2. Museo Decumano
3. Museo Arqueologico Municipal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 75 reviews
Reviewed By wendelld2013 - New York City, United States
This well-curated museum is built around an ancient necropolis and does an excellent job of taking you through Cartagena’s rise in the Carthaginian Empire before it became a major outpost of the Romans and, much later, the Moors. We enjoyed walking here from the port along the beautiful Alameda de San Anton, then headed north on Calle Jorge Juan for lunch at a nice strip of local restaurants you won’t find on TripAdvisor.
4. Museo Nacional de Arqueologia Subacuatica
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 680 reviews
Reviewed By rochesterrambler - Rochester, United Kingdom
One could probably spend a whole day at this museum if they were to read everything and use all of the interactive exhibits. With displays including items from ancient coins and pottery to large sections of ancient ships, this museum is incredible. By just pushing a button, see how large, heavy objects are lifted from the sea bed with compressed air all inside a class tube.
5. Museo Del Teatro Romano
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,866 reviews
By visiting the Museum of the Roman Theatre you will encounter one of the most surprising discoveries of the city in the last decades. Thanks to the ingenious design of the architect Rafael Moneo, you will start your tour of the Palace of Riquelme, the first building of the museum, and then follow the historical hallway located under the street to then move to the new space that collects the most emblematic pieces of all found in the excavations. Using modern stairs you will come to the second tunnel, this time is under the medieval church of Santa Maria, a construction superimposed to the old theatre which increases its uniqueness and attraction. After this, the second corridor, will take you to the most relevant part of the museum, the Roman Theatre, one of the largest in the Roman Hispania with capacity for 7,000 people.
Reviewed By marftrip - Kernersville, United States
This is a wonderful museum/archaeological site, but there’s much more than it appears upon entering. The entryway leads you under other buildings, which allows you to experience foundations from different time periods along with a history of the site, a architectural history of a Roman theater and displays of artifacts found at the site. You eventually emerge near the top of the Theater, but are able to wander up and down, and on to the stage. It’s definitely worth the time and small entry fee, but allow time to explore and enjoy. (Most of the museums offer a multi-ticket, which lets you buy entry to 4/5/6 museums for a reduced price. I did four in one day, and barely made it before they closed.)
6. Museo Historico Militar de Cartagena
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 132 reviews
Reviewed By bockscar1 - Los Angeles, United States
Wow, what a gem. Well worth the visit if you’re interested in this history. I could’ve spent way more than the 1.5 hours I spent before they closed. They have an awful lot of stuff. Half is presented with Spanish-only minimalistic captions. These are the “Here’s a bunch of stuff” sections. Cool if you can navigate in some meaningful way on your own. Then there are sections with big, new, easy to read placards with well-written, concise English that includes technical specifications. They’ve done a brilliant job with these placards. Kudos. These placards generally cover the big ticket artifacts. Museum lacks broader narrative on how things fit into operational or strategic considerations. Some placards for specific artifacts do discuss tactical relevance. Refreshing to see Spanish Civil War discussed (a bit) and not omitted like other museums. As of the day I visited, 9 December 2020, this museum is open 10am-2pm. Another military museum nearby, the Naval Museum of Cartagena, is also open the same hours. I suspect most people interested in this history would combine both in the same day as I did. Not enough time. I wish these museums found a way to make that work. As such, I was rushed on the second floor which contains a really wonderful history of the harbor defenses. The historical writing was informative in the English translations. Really easy to follow especially with superb, large defensive fortification models. Just leave time! Also upstairs are lots of uniforms. Then you turn a corner into a models section. I didn’t appreciate what this meant. Lots of models. As in, literally, the Guinness Book of World Records holder for largest collection of military models (as of 2012). It’s not just quantity, this is a qualitative collection and I wish I’d had more time with it. I don’t understand why this museum doesn't appear on every list of “Things to do” for not just the city but the whole region. Whoever added all those new placards that are so informative and easy to read (and well-translated) kicked this museum from a collection of stuff to a truly educational experience. Thank you for having me.
7. Museo Archeologico, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 47 reviews
Around 4000 years of culture in the area of Cartagena is represented. One of the prize pieces is an extremely beautiful(even by modern standards) piece of jewellery found at Los Nietos, just a local train ride away on the shore of the Mar Menor.
8. Museo Naval
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 444 reviews
Reviewed By bockscar1 - Los Angeles, United States
What a wonderful museum! Well worth the visit if you’re interested in this history. I spent over two hours taking my time. Throughout the museum are big placards with well-written, concise, informative English. They do a wonderful job of summarizing each section’s relevance to the bigger historical picture. These placards establish an easy to follow narrative arc for the entire museum. Artifact and model captions are Spanish only. Too bad. The models are stunning. Really great collection. Minimal captions in Spanish only that don’t do them justice. Sad that for all the amazing work that went into these models there is not more historical discussion around how to appreciate them. I wish there were more narratives around specific engagements and relevant strategic, operational, and tactical considerations for each. Interestingly the highlighted engagements mostly laud Spanish victories. Scarcely a mention of Trafalgar, the Spanish American War, or Republican losses during the Spanish Civil War. As of the day I visited, 9 December 2020, this museum is open 10am-2pm. Another military museum nearby, the Military Historical Museum of Cartagena, is also open the same hours. I suspect most people interested in this history would combine both in the same day as I did. Not enough time. I wish these museums found a way to make that work. For anyone interested in military history or history in general, this museum is a must-see.
9. Centro de Interpretacion de la Mina Las Matildes
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 18 reviews
10. Museo Muralla Bizantina
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