This is one gorgeous museum, inside AND out- and the people here are so friendly and helpful. We…read moregot here only 50 minutes before closing, so we had to see it fast, but we would not have missed it for the world. First, the exterior is amazing. Then the interior! Glass and crystal chandeliers. Gorgeous period rooms (carriages on the first floor!) Fabulous paintings- both framed and on the ceilings. Tiles, Vases, Mantel Clocks, Statues, kitchen ware- you name it, you will see it here. If you are familiar with the Decorative Arts Museum and the Romanticismo museum- this is like a combination of those two Madrid museums. It's 5 euros, but free if you have the National Museum Cards for Spain- which can be bought at many of the National Museums of Spain, and which we found to be a good deal, since we love museums. You can take pictures here- but NO flash. We were so happy to be able to take some pictures away to help us remember our experience.

Don't miss this absolutely amazing palace/ceramics museum. What's great about the Museum is that…read morethe price of admission includes a free fifty-minute guided tour in one of many languages - Francesco was our tour guide, and he was fantastic at contextualizing the building, and walking us through the important pieces in the collection. And make time to wonder at the beauty of the building's exterior.

Gee, I didn't know this was a museum separate from the Cau Ferrat next door since it was all free…read moreunder the same ticket on International Museum Day (review: https://yelp.to/bIxDanekks). I only noticed weeks later when I finally read the brochure. Wasn't that stupid of me? Don't answer that. Anyway, while Museo del Cau Ferrat represents one man's collection of art, this more expansive exhibit represents the collection of not an artist but a wealthy benefactor. It was American magnate and philanthropist Charles Deering. Yes, the guy who founded International Harvester. Apparently, making his fortune in tractors meant he could afford three floors of art that spans ten centuries of art from the 10th to the 20th century. The style varies from Romanesque and Gothic to Renaissance and Baroque to Modernism. The mirador was particularly striking with the neoclassical statuary set against the Mediterranean background. RELATED - Exploring Barcelona and Sitges? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/4dTEx5T

Great experience, definitely worth attending once you're done drink and eating lots of tapas. Good…read moreexhibits and even better view of the Mediterranean Sea.

Another excellent museum with a mixture of ancient Roman to Medieval Tarragona but mostly focused…read moreon the Roman city. Very well laid out, and the only way to see inside the corridors that you can only glimpse from the outside. If you don't have the patience for the whole museum, make sure you see the mosaics and bigger better preserved statues.

This impressive museum charts the history of Roman 'Tarraco' and contains some of the most…read moreimportant finds from the city. It is a 'must' on any visit to Tarragona. The basement includes a section of the original Roman city wall in situ, and subsequent floors include exhibits depicting civic, commercial and domestic life. Most impressive is the collection of statuary and funeral monuments, and a series of mosaics, including a wonderfully vivid and well preserved one showing some 50 species of marine life from the area. Other finds include items from shipping such as anchors and a large collection of amphorae, and household luxuries, such as glassware and jewellery. A favourite of the school party visiting at the same time as us much to the embarrassment of their teachers was the collection of erotic objects. These include brooches, ritual objects in the shape of penises and a small statue of an infeasibly well-endowed Bacchus, sporting his appendage in front of him like a third leg! Items are described in Spanish and Catalan, and there also are free guide pamphlets on each floor in English, French and German. The museum is also fully accessible with ramps and lifts. There is a small gift shop and audiovisual room used for occasional exhibitions.

Beautiful architecture. Worth visiting for this alone. I happened to be visiting during a Leonardo…read moreDaVinci exhibit. Just incredible the breadth and depth they went into. Very informative. I really appreciate the cleanliness of the building, the attention to detail within each exhibit, and most notably, the interactive experiences. Each exhibit I visited had multiple interactive opportunities to help engage the audience. Great way to capture the attention of young and old alike; not just walking through looking and reading copious amounts of explanations on the art presented. One star off because some of the exhibits felt disjointed between one another, signage could be better.

Maaaaaaannnnnnn.....Chicago really lost out!!…read more The Chicago Spire, designed by Santiago Calatrava, was supposed to be erected as the tallest building in the USA. However, the efforts stalled and we were left with just a big hole in the ground. I mention that data point because the Cuidad de las Artes y las Sciences (City of Arts and Sciences) was designed by Santiago Calatrava. He also designed Milwaukee's Modern Art Museum (I've been there) and the Occulus (NYC - haven't been yet). His futuristic, modern and clean designs incorporates and draws inspiration from local plants, the skeletal features of a whale, the sails of a ship, etc., etc....His work is instantly recognizable - like Frank Gehry's, Art Deco, and on a smaller scale - Frank Lloyd Wright. And coming here to the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, which by way, this place puts Valencia on the map as a Do Not Miss city!! I understand that Rick Steves did not overly advertise this great city and on this rare occasion, I respectfully think he's mistaken to do so. My only regret is that we just did a walk-by and a few drive-bys to admire its Beautiful design and the distinct buildings which include an aquarium, planetarium, museum, etc. There are outdoor areas for enjoying artwork, foliage, architecture, paddle boarding, so on and so forth. And try to wrap your mind around this - it's part of a linear parkway that extends about 6.5 KM in one direction!! If you're training for a marathon or an avid runner, what a big plus to run through this area on a daily basis. I can only think of running from Giants park to Golden Gate Bridge, being more picturesque. Or the lake front jogging path from Addison St. to 15th street in Chicago. On a smaller scale, I do see Santiago being influenced by Gaudi, here and there, and it's because of his use of organic shapes and tiles. Overall, Plan to spend a day or two here and actually go inside the facilities, my drive-bys and walk-bys provided just a glimpse of this futuristic compound.....

Una experiencia que vale la pena , solo ve listo para caminar. Museo y experiencias vale la pena…read more 10/10 recomiendo.

I didn't care for this museum. The exhibits are pretty boring and the Museum layout didn't feel…read moreorganized. It seems to be geared for children, but many of the children I saw didn't look entertained. The actual building is beautiful and the grounds are gorgeous. Price for admission is 8 Euros. The museum is ENTIRELY interactive, with exhibits just haphazardly placed throughout. There were a few interesting exhibits, but that's about all I can say. If you only have a short time in Valencia, I recommend the Aquarium- it's incredible

Impressive museum on religious paintings and retables. Free entrance and free guided you only on…read moreSunday. Close to bus station on line 6. A part of the museum was close and all the paintings of Velasquez were missing

A wonderful arts museum with lots of religious and medieval paintings. It was big enough with a lot…read moreof artwork but small enough to explore without feeling overwhelmed. It was free which is great, but I feel as if it could have used a little more variety.!