Museo de la Paz de Gernika
Museum in Gernika-Lumo on the 1937 bombing, the Civil War, peace and human rights, with a documentation centre.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum opened on 7 April 1998 as a municipal museum on the Plaza de los Fueros, opposite the City Hall, in a building designed by Manuel María Smith that had housed the courts and the post and telegraph offices. At first it focused on the history of the town and on the bombing of 26 April 1937. Between 1999 and 2002 the building was renovated and the project was redefined as a peace museum, the first of its kind in the Basque Country and in Spain.
In July 2002 it became a foundation, with Gernika-Lumo City Council, the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia and the Basque Government as founding patrons, and on 8 January 2003 it reopened in its present form. It also houses the Documentation Centre on the Bombing of Gernika, which opened to the public in 2003.
The permanent exhibition is organised around four themes: what peace is, the legacy of the bombing of Gernika, audiovisual testimonies from those who lived through it, and the situation of human rights in the world, with Picasso’s “Guernica” as a point of reference. The museum has a reproduction of the painting, not the original, which is in the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.
Key themes
- Permanent exhibition on peace, the bombing of Gernika and human rights
- Audiovisual testimonies from survivors of the bombing
- Reproduction of Picasso’s “Guernica”
- Documentation Centre on the bombing of Gernika
- Free admission on Saturday afternoons
Permanent exhibition
- Exposición permanente – Route organised around four themes: what peace is, the legacy of the bombing of Gernika, audiovisual testimonies from those who lived through it, and the state of human rights in the world, starting from Picasso’s “Guernica”.
- Founded
- 1998
- Operated by
- Fundación Museo de la Paz de Gernika
- Visitors per year
- approx. 66,609 (2024)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4.50Groups, students, pensioners, large families and pilgrims. |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 11 · Free admission for under-12s. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freeFree admission for people with disabilities. |
| Admission to the temporary exhibition only | €3 |
Free admission: Saturday afternoons (winter 16:00–18:00; summer 16:00–19:00) and some special days: School Day for Peace and Non-violence (January), Basque Coast Museums Day (March), anniversary of the Gernika bombing (April), International Museum Day (May), International Day of Peace (September), Day of Memory (November) and International Human Rights Day (December).
Free admission also for ICOM members and teachers from the Basque Country (with accreditation). There is a single pass, a joint card for visiting several museums in Gernika, sold at the Gernika Tourist Office. Tickets can be bought at reception or online at least 24 hours in advance.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum has a street-level accessible entrance, a four-person lift with visual and Braille numbering, accessible toilets on the reception floor and on the temporary exhibition floor, rest areas with benches and folding chairs at reception and on the first and second floors, and transcripts of the audiovisuals. All galleries are accessible, except the education department. The audiovisual “La casa de Begoña” has a version in sign language. Only assistance dogs are admitted.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 11 |
- Family tours & workshops
- Baby changing facilities
- Playground / play area
On the first floor there is a “children’s corner” for children aged 3 to 10, under the supervision of their families. The education department organises activities and family Sundays; there is also a baby-changing table in the adapted toilet in the shop.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Gernika-Lumo has a rail connection (Euskotren) and a bus connection (Bizkaibus).
The museum is on the Plaza de los Fueros, opposite the City Hall, next to the Casa de Cultura and about 50 metres from the Tourist Office and the church of Santa María. Gernika-Lumo is 33 km from Bilbao, 30 km from Loiu airport, 14 km from the motorway at Amorebieta, 105 km from San Sebastián, 70 km from Vitoria and 120 km from Hendaye.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
- Coat check
- Lockers
- Wi-Fi
Cloakroom and lockers in the shop, with cabinets for storing the bags of a single group together. Free Wi-Fi with no password in the museum and in the Plaza de los Fueros.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photographing and video recording are permitted inside the museum. |
| Good to know | Individual visits are free or with a guided tour; groups must book. Entry to the galleries with backpacks, large bags or umbrellas is not permitted, and eating or smoking inside the museum is not allowed. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The museum offers audioguides for the permanent exhibition in several languages. |
