Museo de Identidad del Corcho

About the museum

The museum opened in 2008 in the former Cámara Agraria (agricultural chamber) of San Vicente de Alcántara, premises of about 300 square metres. It is part of the Extremadura Museum Network and is run by the town council in collaboration with the Junta de Extremadura.

Its approach is that of an identity museum: it presents the town through its relationship with cork, which has been the basis of its economy since the mid-19th century. The cork industry arrived in the municipality in 1858, and today San Vicente hosts a large share of Spain's cork-processing companies.

The permanent exhibition, in a single room divided into thematic areas, covers the cork dictionary, the cork oak grove and the tree, the first uses of the material, the local festivals linked to it (Corpus Christi and San Vicente Mártir), household objects made of cork and, finally, the industrial process up to the stopper. The route closes with an early 20th-century garlopa (planing machine), one of the first used to make cork stoppers.

Highlights

• Cork dictionary and the “experience rings” of the cork oak
• 3D audiovisual on the growth of the cork oak, aimed at children
• Household cork objects: slaughter troughs, lunch boxes, seats
• From stripping the bark to making the stopper
• Early 20th-century garlopa planing machine
• Free admission

Permanent exhibition

• El corcho y la identidad de San Vicente de Alcántara – Tour of the cork oak, the traditional uses of cork, the local festivals and the industrial making of the stopper, with pieces, panels and audiovisuals.

Founded

2008

Operated by

Ayuntamiento de San Vicente de Alcántara

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission, according to a specialist press article from 2017; the official portals do not publish a fee.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

According to the municipal tourism portal: access for people with disabilities, ramps, and adapted common areas and toilet with grab bars, accessible parking and guide dogs admitted.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

Includes a 3D audiovisual designed mainly for younger children. It receives school visits, mostly from February to May.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & 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