MUSAC. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León
Public contemporary art museum in León, housed since 2005 in a building by Tuñón and Mansilla with a façade of coloured glass.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The MUSAC opened its doors on 1 April 2005 in the city of León as a public museum of contemporary art of the Junta de Castilla y León. It is part of the Red de Museos de Castilla y León and is managed by the Fundación Siglo para el Turismo y las Artes de Castilla y León. Until 2008 it was directed by Rafael Doctor Roncero, who conceived it as a “museum of the present” and set 1992 as the starting point of the collection. Under Agustín Pérez Rubio (2009–2013) the centre turned towards public programmes, publishing and education, and the start of the collection was moved to 1989, the year the Berlin Wall fell. Manuel Olveira directed it from 2013 to 2021, and since November 2021 Álvaro Rodríguez Fominaya has been in charge.
The building is the work of the architects Emilio Tuñón and Luis Moreno Mansilla, who received the Mies van der Rohe Award of the European Union for it in 2007. It is laid out on a single floor, with white concrete walls and a façade of more than 3,300 panes of glass. The mosaic of 37 colours on the main façade derives from the digitisation of “El Halconero”, a 13th-century stained-glass window of León cathedral. The plan is based on the geometry of certain Roman pavements that combine squares and rhombuses, and in front of the museum a public square of 1,500 m² opens up.
Besides the exhibition halls, the museum has an assembly hall, an education department and the Biblioteca-Centro de Documentación Araceli Corbo, specialised in national and international contemporary art.
Highlights
- Building by Tuñón and Mansilla, Mies van der Rohe Award 2007
- Coloured-glass façade based on the stained-glass window “El Halconero” of León cathedral
- Contemporary art collection starting in 1989
- Biblioteca-Centro de Documentación Araceli Corbo
- Public square of 1,500 m² in front of the building
- Founded
- 2005
- Operated by
- Junta de Castilla y León (Fundación Siglo para el Turismo y las Artes de Castilla y León)
- Director
- Álvaro Rodríguez Fominaya
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1Young people aged 8 to 18, university students, members of large families, groups of more than 8 people, schoolchildren over 8 years old and pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago (with credential) |
| Children & teens | €1free up to age 7 · Under-8s enter free; ages 8 to 18 pay the reduced rate. |
| Seniors | freeFree admission for people over 65 and pensioners. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and, if essential for the visit, their companion. |
| Students & apprentices | €1Reduced admission for university students. |
| Groups (9+ people) | €1 per personReduced admission per person for groups of more than 8 people. |
| Families | €1Reduced admission for members of large families. |
| Exclusive guided tour (up to 25 people, 1 hour), plus the admission of each participant | €60To be requested at least 5 days in advance; in Spanish or English. |
| Exclusive guided tour for groups of over-65s and students outside the free MUSAC Escuela programme | €40Plus the admission of each participant. |
Free admission: Every Sunday; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 19:00–20:00; opening weekends of exhibitions; 23 April, 9 May, 18 May, 12 October and 6 December.
Free admission, with accreditation, also applies to people in legal unemployment, holders of the carné joven and its international equivalent, members of the Club de los 60, friends and donors of the MUSAC, teaching staff, official tourist guides of Castilla y León, practising journalists, groups with a booking in the MUSAC Escuela programme and members of several professional museology and art associations.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description
The main entrance has no changes of level, and the exhibition halls, the education department and the assembly hall are on a single floor. Wheelchairs and baby seats are lent free of charge at reception. The assembly hall has a space for one wheelchair but no induction loop. The second floor of the library and that of the restaurant have a platform stairlift. There is one parking space for people with reduced mobility in front of the museum esplanade. Visits with a Spanish Sign Language interpreter are organised on the first Friday of each month, along with visits for people with visual impairments, audio description of a selection of works, easy-read guides, pictogram materials and activities for people with intellectual disabilities, autism, Alzheimer's or acquired brain injury. Assistance dogs are admitted.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 7 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €1 · Reduced admission for members of large families. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Stroller-friendly
The public programme includes an offer for children and young people with workshops and activities, and the museum provides educational materials in pictograms and easy-read format. Children must always be accompanied and supervised by an adult. Baby seats are lent free of charge at reception, and the main entrance has no changes of level.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
City bus lines 7, 11 and 12. RENFE station on calle Astorga, s/n.
By car
Parking available · 450 m to the entrance
Public car park of the Junta de Castilla y León 450 metres from the museum. One parking space for people with reduced mobility in front of the museum esplanade.
- Accessible parking
Address: Avenida de los Reyes Leoneses, 24. GPS coordinates given by the museum: N 42° 36.387′, W 5° 34.974′. Virgen del Camino airport is 7 km from the city centre.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
- Lockers
Cafeteria-restaurant Fast Food Cidón, open Tuesday to Friday 11:00–22:00 and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 11:00–23:00 (kitchen closed 16:00–20:00). Museum shop with publications and souvenirs. Backpacks, umbrellas, handbags and large bags must be left in the free lockers.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
The assembly hall is hired for private events, conferences, presentations and meetings, subject to the availability left by the museum's programme. Information and rates: +34 987 091 112, musac@musac.es.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and video recording are permitted without flash and without tripods or other stabilising devices. Reproducing, distributing or selling images without the museum's permission is prohibited; some works or exhibitions may not be photographed. |
| Good to know | Each exhibition has downloadable room guides and audio tours. Exclusive guided tours of the temporary exhibitions, with a member of the mediation team, are booked via form at least 5 days in advance (groups of 1 to 25 people). The free MUSAC Escuela educational programme serves schools. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult; from that age, anyone visiting without an adult must carry their ID card (DNI) or an equivalent document. Food, drink and pets may not be brought in. |
