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The Museum of Menorca is the most important museum on the island and houses some of the most important treasures of Talayotic culture to be found anywhere. With more than 200,000 objects and unique pieces on display, the museum offers a tour of Menorca’s entire history – from its prehistory to today. This experience will surprise you for sure, and let you immerse yourself in the true spirit of this magical island.
Table of contents
- The history of the Museum of Menorca
- The museum’s origins
- The Convent of Jesus
- Collection, exhibitions, and activities
- Opening hours and prices
- How to get there
The history of the Museum of Menorca
The Museum of Menorca is a real gem for lovers of history and archaeology. It used to be known as the Museum of Archaeology and Natural History and has always maintained a close connection with the island’s prehistory. Among other museums in Spain and Europe, this is the most important for Talayotic culture, which it specialises in. The museum’s leadership in this field of research is indisputable and the wonderful pieces exhibited here today are the proof.
The museum’s origins
To find out more about the origins of the Museum of Menorca, we have to go all the way back to 1889, the year when Mahón inaugurated it as its first municipal museum with the help of various individuals and contributions. The name chosen was the Museum of Archaeology and Natural History, as its mission was to show the public objects that had been found on the island over the years: fossils of marine animals, tombs from the Roman era, utensils, ceramic fragments... The first collection at the museum was a large part of what you can find here today, a set of more than 200,000 objects that tells the story of how Menorca evolved from its Talayotic origins to the present day.
The Convent of Jesus
The museum underwent a transformation in 1974 when it was moved to the building where it is found today: the Franciscan Convent of Jesus. This imposing building from the 15th century was almost completely destroyed when Turkish troops attacked the city, and rebuilt later throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.
The building itself is a work of art worth visiting. Particularly noteworthy are the decorations on vaults and shields, where you can see a beautiful combination of heraldic, floral and – of course – religious motifs.
Collection, exhibitions, and activities
The museum has a huge collection of truly amazing and unique pieces that cannot be found elsewhere in the world – the result of numerous years of research and collaboration with other international museums.
Apart from this great collection, the museum offers visitors a permanent exhibition with outstanding pieces that span from sculptures to photographs and even a complete collection of maps of Menorca. Apart from this permanent exhibition there are also temporary exhibitions that you can visit on the ground floor of the convent, which are usually free of charge, museum activities in the streets of Mahón, a library area, concerts, courses and conferences.
Opening hours and prices
The Museum of Menorca is open both in winter and summer, every day except Mondays and some specific days that you can look up on its official website where you can also find the museum's opening hours by day and season.
Tickets to the Museum of Menorca are not very expensive, since it is a public centre. Tickets can be purchased directly in the museum's ticket office, but you can also buy them on our website, in the flight+hotel section.
How to get there
The Museum of Menorca is found in Mahón, on the street Plà des Monestir number 9, very near the Moll de Ponent and not far from the port of the city. If you are staying at our Zafiro Menorca, you drive towards the centre of Ciutadella and then take the Me-1 towards Mahón. The car journey takes around 50 minutes, and you can make some stops along the way to get to know places such as Es Mercadal, Ferreries and Alaior.
If you still haven’t booked a hotel but would like to enjoy a holiday on Menorca, take a look at the offers section for Zafiro Hotels and enjoy all the advantages we have in store for those who make their reservations directly through us.