Casa Museo Jorge Bonsor
House and museum of the archaeologist George Bonsor in the castle of Mairena del Alcor, visitable with a guide and advance booking.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Casa Museo Jorge Bonsor occupies the castle of Mairena del Alcor, a Mudéjar building also known as the Castillo de la Luna. The archaeologist George Edward Bonsor Saint-Martin bought it in 1902 to make it his home and museum. Its architectural elements, in a neo-Islamic style that suited Romantic-era travellers, combine with an eclectic Andalusian garden.
Bonsor designed the display himself. It brought together archaeological objects from his excavations with ethnographic collections, paintings, historical weapons, and a large personal library and archive, along with an extensive photographic and documentary collection. The museum was so important that the tourism section of the 1929 Ibero-American Exhibition in Seville recommended it, and travel agencies of the time organised visits.
The castle forms part of a heritage complex together with the Casa Palacio de los Duques de Arcos and the Olivar del Castillo park. The castle and the palace house were built by the Ponce de León family between the 14th and 15th centuries and marked the origin of the present urban layout of Mairena del Alcor. The guided circuit covers the Casa Bonsor, the exhibition room and the Casa Palacio de los Duques de Arcos.
Highlights
- Mudéjar castle where the archaeologist George Bonsor lived and worked
- Neo-Islamic architecture and an eclectic Andalusian garden
- Archaeological and ethnographic collection assembled by Bonsor himself
- Guided circuit that includes the Casa Palacio de los Duques de Arcos
- Free visits with booking on Thursdays
Permanent exhibition
- Casa Museo Jorge Bonsor – House and museum of the archaeologist Bonsor in the Mairena castle, with an archaeological and ethnographic collection, photographs and documents, as part of the guided circuit of the heritage complex.
- Operated by
- Ayuntamiento de Mairena del Alcor
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2.50People born in or resident in Mairena del Alcor (with a 50% discount also for unemployed people) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under 18s. |
| Seniors | freeFree admission for retired people and pensioners from the European Union. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freeFree admission for people with a disability above 33%. |
| Free visit without museum access | €4Only on dates scheduled by the town council. |
Free admission: Every Thursday, with advance booking and subject to availability; also on Andalusia Day, International Museum Day, World Tourism Day and during the European Heritage Days.
The €5 price corresponds to the single guided circuit (Casa Bonsor, exhibition room and Casa Palacio de los Duques de Arcos). With official accreditation, discounts apply to large families, unemployed people, members of friends-of-museum associations and of ICOM, ICCROM and ICOMOS, and university students and staff of related degrees (archaeology, history, art history, fine arts, biology and environmental studies). Only card payment is accepted.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Plaza Antonio Mairena
Urban bus stopping at Plaza Antonio Mairena. Intercity bus: line M-126 Sevilla–El Viso del Alcor and line M-106 Carmona–Alcalá de Guadaíra, stop Paseo.
By car
Parking available
There are car parks near the entrance on Calle Ancha and Calle San Antonio María Claret, and an outdoor car park on Calle Camino de las Minas.
By car, take the A-398, SE-3202, A-8025 and A-8026. On foot, from Plaza Antonio Mairena via Calle Daoiz and Calle Real, or from the Alconchel fountain via Calle Alconchel and Calle Real.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Single guided circuit through the Casa Bonsor, the exhibition room and the Casa Palacio de los Duques de Arcos. Places must be booked on the town council’s website. |
