Santiago de Cuba Museums and Art Galleries

(Santiago de Cuba, Cuba)



Santiago de Cuba's museums range from the small and charming to the large and comprehensive, and cover a range of interests.

Second only to Havana's museums in numbers, visitors can explore the history, heritage and culture of this vibrant city, and the lives of its patriots, heroes, poets and artists. Visitors will also be able to learn about the African heritage of the slaves, who were brought to Santiago de Cuba during the colonial era.


Municipal Museum of Emilio Bacardi Moreau (Museo Municipal Emilio Bacardi Moreau)

Address: Pio Rosada y Aguilera, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Tel: +53 022 62 8402
Founded in 1899, the Museo Municipal Emilio Bacardi Moreau was one of the country's first museums and is housed in a magnificent colonial mansion, where it depicts the years between the arrival of the conquistadors and the War of Independence with Spain. Exhibits include weapons and African artefacts, historic Cuban and European art works, and an Egyptian mummy famously unearthed in Cuba. Directly opposite is the Gobierno Provincial, an equally impressive building and a good point of reference.
Open hours: Monday - 15:00 to 20:00, Tuesday to Saturday - 09:00 to 21:00, Sunday - 09:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge

Carnival Museum (Museo del Carnaval)

Address: Calle Heredia 303, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Tel: +53 022 62 6955
This fascinating and very colourful museum tells of the historical perspective of Carnaval and the five centuries of its tradition in Cuba. Expect old costumes and photos, drums and other percussion instruments, huge papier-maché masks and examples of the massive modern costumes now worn. Cultural and musical 'folklorico' events are held at the Museo del Carnaval at 16:00 every day, except for Mondays.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Museum of Cuba's Historic Ambience (Museo de Ambiente Historico Cubano)

Address: Calle Felix Pena, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Tel: +53 022 65 2652
Located in the oldest mansion in Cuba, the Casa Diego Velazquez (dating from the 1520s), this museum was opened in 1970 and includes the adjacent mansion. Both are recreations of the lives of wealthy 16th- and 19th-century Cuban families. The ground floor of the Casa Diego Velazquez once served as a trading house and even as a foundry for gold, while upstairs originally functioned as the official residence for Cuba's very first governor, Diego Velazquez de Cuéllar.
Open hours: Monday to Thursday - 09:00 to 13:00, 14:00 to 16:45, Friday - 14:00 to 16:45, Saturday and Sunday - 09:00 to 21:00
Admission: charge

Ciudad Escolar 26 de Julio Museum

Address: Moncada Barracks (Cuartel Moncada), Avenida Moncada, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Tel: +53 022 62 0157
Located near the entrance to Moncada Barracks, now a school, and set on the exact site where revolutionaries attacked the Batista regime's soldiers, is the Ciudad Escolar 26 de Julio Museum. This small attraction tells of the struggle against the dictator and his cruel regime, and provides added interest for those visiting the barracks.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Centro Cultural Africano Fernando Ortiz

Address: Vista Alegre, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Fernando Ortiz was Cuba's most distinguished ethnologist, and this fascinating small museum contains the great man's collections of African artefacts and handicrafts, as well as small array of fine art works. The Centro Cultural Africano Fernando Ortiz resides within the upmarket Vista Alegre area of the city, amongst a number of grand neo-classical mansions and popular restaurants.
Open hours: alternate Saturdays
Admission: free

Birthplace of Jose Maria de Heredia (Casa Natal de Jose Maria de Heredia)

Address: Calle Heredia 260, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
The Casa Natal de Jose Maria de Heredia is a memorial to one of Cuba's greatest romantic poets, Jose Maria de Heredia, who was born in 1803 and exiled to the USA in 1833 for his revolutionary sentiments. This house is actually his birthplace and gives a glimpse of Heredia's life and times during the last century of Spanish rule in Cuba. The street itself is named after Heredia, while the exterior is inscribed with one of his most well-known poems, entitled the 'Ode to Niagara'.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 09:00 to 18:00, Sunday - 09:00 to 21:00
Admission: charge

Birthplace of Antonio Maceo (Museo Casa Natal de Antonio Maceo)

Address: Los Maceos 207, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Antonio Maceo was known as the 'Bronze Titan' of the fight for independence from Spain, and is Santiago's best-known patriot. His life is documented in the house in which he was born (14th June 1845) and lived, and a massive monument to his heroic deeds is set in the city's main square. The Museo Casa Natal de Antonio Maceo contains much memorabilia relating to Maceo's life, including documents, letters, photographs and even an old flag from a past battle.
Open hours: Monday - 15:00 to 20:00, Tuesday to Saturday - 09:00 to 21:00, Sunday - 09:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge




Further museums in Santiago de Cuba include the following selection:

Cuban Rum Museum (Museo del Ron)
Address: Bartolome Maso 358, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Natural History Museum of Tomás Romay (Museo de Historia Natural Tomás Romay)
Address: Jose A Saco / Monsenor Barnada, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Tel: +53 022 65 3539
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 08:30 to 17:30, Saturday - 09:00 to 14:00
Admission: charge

House and Museum of Frank y Josué Pais (Casa Museo de Frank y Josué Pais)
Address: Banderas 226, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Museum of the Image (Museo de la Imagen)
Address: Calle 8 - 106, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Tel: +53 022 64 2234
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Archdiocesan Museum (Museo Arquidiocesano)
Address: Parque Cespedes, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Tel: +53 022 62 2143
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 17:00, Saturday - 09:00 to 14:00, Sunday - 09:00 to 12:00
Admission: charge

Museum of the Clandestine Lunch (Museo de la Luncha Clandestina)
Address: General Jesus Rabi 1, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, CU
Tel: +53 022 62 4689
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge