I was a bit disappointed with this museum. I thought it would be similar to El Prado in Madrid, with 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. read more

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I'm sometimes fortunate enough to be traveling with my art historian daughter. She had the Museo Bellas Artes on our itinerary before doing anything else in the city on our most recent visit. For about half of the museum, they had a small amount of art in each room. Mostly it would represent 2 different artists, of different time periods, and one or two works by each. I found it to be a thought provoking experience, wondering what common themes or influences I could find. Sometimes, similarities were obvious, other times not. Being allowed to draw our own conclusions was nice, but I would have also appreciated commentary from their curatorial staff, telling us how and why the pairings were made. The major artists represented were wonderful to see. FYI - admission was free when we visited (June 2023), but we did have to stop at the ticket office and claim our physical proof of entry. They do not allow backpacks (very sensibly), and have free lockers in the basement to check your bags. read more

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Goya, Cezzane, Gaugin and a lot of other incredible legends. Bilbao might be a small city but they certainly punch above their weight class when it comes to museums between this and the Guggenheim. I am a huge fan. You can spend up to 3-4 hours easy. read more

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A bit better than my Guggenheim experience, I was also disappointed here. A dearth of well known art or artists, some El Greco, a few Degas and Gauguin pieces, and a very nice Mary Cassatt, but not a single Renoir, Monet, Lautrec, Van Gogh, or Manet in sight. I love the impressionists and neo-impressionists as well as Rembrandt and a few others, so I was quite bored. The map they gave me had little information and was totally useless, so I had to explore on my own and it is possible that I missed some rooms or artworks. I hope so. Not a big museum, it will take an hour or two at most, even if you like the collection they have on-hand. CombatCritic Gives Museo Bellas Artes de Bilbao 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better! read more

Museo Bellas Artes de Bilbao - Bob Dylan poster - Museums Near Me - Bilbao, BI

I arrived just after opening so the place was very quiet and that made it easy to enjoy the artworks without people talking or kids running about. If you can get here early, that would be my recommendation. This museum is "fine art" and not "contemporary art." This means that much of it isn't going to be the artist exploring the colors and their impact on his relationship with his mother, or whatever artistic twaddle there is. It's art. It's classic. And I found it to be very lovely. Sculptures from artists you may have heard of and maybe you haven't. Paintings, sculpture, even a decorative chimney. This was also the only Picasso that I saw in all of Bilbao, so there's that. Well worth the small entrance fee. read more

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Beyond beautiful museum! A must-see when you're in the city. The exhibits were carefully curated and inspiring. When I visited, they had a fabulous display of the history and art in alphabetical order. I could go on forever. Spend the extra couple of bucks and take the audio tour. So much beauty and info! Oh, also treat yourself to a glass of wine after and relax at the cafe. read more

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You can get a combo ticket to this excellent museum and the Guggenheim at either place. If you're over 65, though, it's less expensive just to buy them separately. (Thanks to the nice info desk people at the Guggenheim) Collection here is excellent read more

One of my favourite spots from our Bilbao adventure, this gallery is a bit of a maze, a bit of a surprise and well worth your time. We were on an art hunt during our time in the city, so it's no surprise this museum made the rounds. The ticket prices are in line with most of the other museums in town, not cheap but not shocking either... though I did nearly take a star off for the very disgruntled staff member that worked the ticket booth. She provided a rather abrupt start to our afternoon... Thankfully, the angry staff member was quickly forgotten, as there was a poster exhibition on that was a total highlight - a wonderful collection, well laid out. They have a gallery upstairs boasting permanent works. Very traditional portraits. Intricate and beautiful in their own right, but not my cup of tea. However, venture up another staircase and you're face to face with one of the best art spaces we encountered on our trip. The modern/abstract art gallery is beautiful - with high ceilings, well curated pieces and lots of natural light. It's a beautiful way to spend an hour, wandering between each work. The cherry on top was the small, nearly hidden, gallery of a spanish artist, whose work I absolutely fell in love with. Museo Bellas Artes had a firm grip on my imagination and I would definitely make a point to stop by if I ever visit again. read more

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This is also a brilliant museum! I love museums that are clear on entering: it's built in a square, so the expositions have only one way: around. In two floors. The bad thing is you have to carry your small backpack in the front and that turns out heavy after a while. Costs are €9, the Bilbao Card does not apply, while I was told it would. There are now (February 2018) two magnificent expositions: one with lots of work of Franceso Goya (18th Century) and one of Eduardo Arroyo, who is 81 yo now. Both with contemporaries. Really fantastic displays! read more

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Not a huge art museum. Easy to get through in a morning or afternoon. Close to the Guggenheim, and restaurants as well.