Came here while visiting Donostia and we managed to get free entry! It's a really great museum and…read moreit's manageable for spending as little as an hour, unless you want to go through all of the exhibits in substantial detail, which could take quite a bit more time. There's a lot of old Basque history including seafaring history, whaling stuff, and then more modern stuff, too, ranging from Basque artists to, I don't know, secret Basque space lasers. The architectural integration of the old cathedral and cloister is also well done-- leaving the sanctuary, you walk out into this gorgeous, peaceful grassy area and aren't even thinking about the fact that the upstairs is more of a proper museum setting. Definitely worth a visit

Definitely recommend visiting if you are in San Sebastian for more than a couple of days, or if…read moreit's raining and are looking for an indoor activity. It's a great way to learn about Basque history and culture and it includes a church and cloister as part of the building's structure. Bonus: they have a a cafe with tasty pintxos and tapas for the appetite you will work up walking through the museum.

This is the late 20th century opus of American architect Frank Gehry…read more As an architect, i am always amazed at what some architects can get build. Thus, this always perplexed me. However in situ, it makes total sense. At a human scale its underpinnings line up with the surrounding buildings and the river it sits upon. The curvilinear forms are symbolic of the ships once built on this ground in the early 20th century. As an icon and symbol of basque pride. Interestingly, it also plays homage to Frank Lloyd Wright's opus the original Guggenheim in NYC. The Art? The building is the art. I will let others comment on its success as a gallery. However, it is perhaps the one of the greatest pieces of architecture of our time. Post Modern deconstructionist Master Work

I recommend buying advance tickets online! I did that and got to skip a very long ticket line…read more Some cool stuff here for sure! I came in August of 2026 and there was a big Jasper Johns exhibit and a big Ruth Asawa exhibit. It feels like quite a large proportion of the museum is devoted to specific exhibits like that, rather than having long corridors with a diverse assortment. I like to be pleasantly surprised by different takes on art as I turn every corner, and there isn't as much of that here. But that's just my taste. Whether or not that's true for you, this is a large facility, and the building and grounds themselves are a pleasure to explore. Some of you, and I include myself here, definitely would wish for more seating in the galleries than you'll find here. They are pretty strict about bringing in metal objects and bags and things. I actually am not sure what those specifics are; I had a backpack and they told me to check it in with them. Had to wait in line and give it to them and everything.

I just returned from Spain, where we saw Chillida sculptures everywhere, particularly in the north…read more This was an eye-opener, as I only learned about him a few years ago, while staying with friends in St. Jean-de-Luz, in France, about 20 minutes north of the Spanish border. Luckily, at that time, my friend's father practically forced my friend's wife and I to go down to Spain to the Chillida sculpture garden. So I knew them when I saw them. (I'll add some pictures in the future.) I'm actually not a huge fan of abstract sculpture, but the space is beautiful and when you can see all of his work in one place, it clicks. If you are in Bilbao for the Guggenheim, or in the area for any other reason, I strongly recommend spending an hour or two at this museum. Note: It's not terribly easy to find. Get directions in advance.

Our wonderful hosts at the Pension Bellas Artes told my wife and I that we needed to pay a visit to…read morethe Chillida museum. This was emphasized even more by the the fact that apparently they were closing at the end of 2010. Personally I am not a huge fan of most forms of modern art, but I found the Chillida museum pretty engaging. You can wander around the many pieces of art that are placed throughout the grounds. It might be a fun place to let the kids expend some energy while you wander around and interpret the pieces. Hopefully someone will step in and manage the finances of this uniquely Basque artist's legacy, far better then the previous caretakers.

I was a bit disappointed with this museum. I thought it would be similar to El Prado in Madrid,…read morewith lots and lots of master paintings but it was actually a combination of traditional Renaissance and Medieval paintings and modern art. The amount of paintings by masters of the Renaissance was very small. The museum itself was not very big either...just two floors and about 4 wings. Overall not a bad place to spend a few hours, but not a place that I would recommend to someone that liked their time at The Prado in Madrid.

I am extremely disappointed. The permanent collection is not on display during renovation and…read morethat's why I came to this city and decided on it over other cities in Spain. THERE IS NO INFORMATION ONLINE THAT THE PERMANENT COLLECTION IS CLOSED. The staff confirmed this and they receive this complaint everyday. THIS IS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING. The new building is scheduled to reopen in October. For a major museum, this lack of communication is very bad.

We were entertaining a family member from out of town and wanted something to do in Bayonne. Le…read moreMusee Basque et de L'Histoire de Bayonne is well worth your time and a visit. The museum is house in a lovely old building in the heart of Petit Bayonne, that appears to have many original old features like colombage walls, wide plank flooring, and multiple exposed beams. The railings that are on the interior stairwell, while newer than some other building features, are lovely examples of old iron work. Museum guides are available in multiple languages. The rooms in the museum are arranged thematically like religious life, home life, fishing, etc. We also appreciated that there was a room that had artifacts and photos from the Jewish community that lived there in the 1800s. The pieces of furniture and pottery were also lovely. Because it is an old building, the layout is slightly unusual but still intuitive. It would have been preferable to have some more explanatory plaques in some of the rooms. One very nice feature are the lockers in the lobby so you can place coats, bags, etc. Parking is available a couple of blocks away.

It's 6,50€ for entry into this museum, which is chock-full of great artifacts and history of the…read moreregion. Can accommodate a quick 1-2 hour visit, or longer if you have the time/inclination. Well worth your time.

Photos etc coming soon…read more Very interesting small museum Next door to the Archeology Museum Free on Thursday