Bilbao Museums | Bilbao Art Galleries

Bilbao Museums, Art Galleries and Theatres:

The Guggenheim Museum is the star attraction of the city of Bilbao. But it is by no means the only museum or cultural attraction in this city.

Bilbao has quite a number of museums and art galleries, including the Museo de Bellas Artes, one of Spain’s best Museum of Fine Art. The people of Bilbao have been theatre-lovers for a very long time and the original Teatro Arriaga was built in the 18th to satisfy this love of theatre.

The below list of Bilbao Museums, Art Galleries and Theatres should keep culture vultures pretty busy during their Bilbao holiday.

BILBAO MUSEUMS, ART GALLERIES AND THEATRES
The Guggenheim Museum Address: Avenida Abandoibarra 2, Bilbao Phone: +34 944 35 90 00 Website: www.guggenheim-bilbao.es	Although the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao only opened in 1997, it is one of the most admired buildings in the world. The museum’s collection focuses primarily on 20th-century American and European art.
Museo de Bellas Artes Address: Plaza del Museo, 2 48009 Bilbao Phone: +34 944 39 60 60 Website: www.museobilbao.com	The Museo de Bellas Artes is one of Spain’s finest art museums. It owns the second best classic art collection, behind El Prado. Nowadays, the Fine Arts Museum de Bilbao has a collection made up of more than 6,000 works of art -paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings and decorative art objects- covering a period from the 12th century to the present. The museum houses the largest collection of works by Basque artists, not to mention the exceptional collection of traditional works by well-known masters such as El Greco, Goya, Gauguin, Francis Bacon, Picasso and Velazquez.
Museo Diocesano de Arte Sacro Address: Plaza de la Encarnación 9B, 48006 Bilbao Phone: +34 944 32 01 25 Website: www.eleizmuseoa.com	This Museum of Sacred Art has over 2,000 pieces of art in its collection, but only 500 are on display. The permanent section is organized in three main sections – sculpture, painting and jewelry with works dating back to the 12th century.
Museo Marítimo Ría de Bilbao Address: Muelle Ramón de la Sota 1, Bilbao Phone: +34 902 13 10 00 Website: www.museomaritimobilbao.org	Opened at the end of 2003, the Maritime Museum Ría de Bilbao offers insight into Bilbao’s past as a shipbuilding and seafaring hub. Outside there are striking floating exhibits with special exhibitions.
Museo Vasco Address: Plaza Miguel Unamuno 4 48006 Bilbao Phone: +34 944 15 54 23 Website: euskal-museoa.org	This museum documents the historical and cultural evolution of Basque society through its displays of Basque art, folk artifacts and photographs. Check out the animal-like carving in the cloister, the Idol of Mikeldi, which dates from the 3rd-2nd century BC.
Museo Taurino Plaza de Toros de Vista Alegre Martin Aquero, 1 48012 Bilbao Phone: + 34 944 44 86 98 Website: plazatorosbilbao.com/museo-taurino-bilbao	As the name suggests, the Bullfighting Museum of Bilbao documents the history of bullfighting with over 100 photographs, posters and the outfits worn by a couple of famous toreros.
Arkeologi Museo Escaleras de Mallona, 2 48006 Bilbao Phone: +34 944 04 09 90	This new museum is dedicated to the history of Biscay from prehistory to recent times and makes the point that this corner of Spain has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Labels are in Spanish and Basque only.
Teatro Arriaga Address: Plaza Arriaga Phone: +34 944 79 20 36 Internet: www.teatroarriaga.com	The original theatre burned down in 1914 and a second was built, resembling the Opera House in Paris. Today, it remains the major cultural venue in Bilbao. Beautifully located on the banks of the Nervión, the theatre is host to world-class classical and contemporary music, opera, dance and theatre.
Euskalduna Palace AAvda. Abandoibarra, No. 4 48011 Bilbao Phone: +34 944 03 50 00 Website: www.euskalduna.net	This is yet another venue for attending the best shows in Bilbao, such as the opera seasons organized by the ABAO (Bilbao Association of Opera Friends), as well as concerts and ballet performances.