Museo Histórico Militar de San Carlos

About the museum

At the beginning of the 17th century King Philip III ordered a tower to be built at Porto Pi, at the request of Mallorcan merchants, to defend Palma's natural harbour against attacks by pirates and Barbary corsairs. The work was carried out between 1610 and 1612 on the site of the former lighthouse, at a cost of 12,000 libras shared among the University of the Kingdom of Mallorca, the Crown and the Merchants' College. It was later enlarged and took on its characteristic trapezoidal form with four large bastions, and in the 19th century it received a coastal battery.

The fortress served as a hospital, a prison for officers and an artillery barracks, and until 1980 it remained a military prison; afterwards it was reduced to a saluting battery from which warships were greeted. In 1981 its rehabilitation began, to house the collections of the recently closed Artillery Park, and the museum officially opened on 26 September 1991. In 1994 two new rooms were added, and since 1997 the castle has been part of the San Carlos Castle Consortium.

With 1,270 square metres of exhibition space, the museum presents the military history of the Balearic Islands, from Antiquity to the present day, in thematic rooms. Of some 7,000 items in its holdings, about 3,600 are on display, mainly Spanish infantry weapons. Highlights include the Llorente Collection of antique weapons, the room of General Weyler, the original 17th-century castle gate, the defence towers of the Mallorcan coast, and souvenirs of the French prisoners from Cabrera.

Highlights

• Llorente Collection: 611 firearms and edged weapons from four continents
• Room dedicated to General Weyler
• Original 17th-century castle gate
• Room on the defence towers of the Mallorcan coast
• Portopí Tower of 1612 and coastal battery

Permanent exhibitions

• Colección Llorente de armas antiguas – Short and long firearms and edged weapons from Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, a total of 611 pieces donated by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Llorente Alberti.
• General Weyler – Room dedicated to Valeriano Weyler, captain general of the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Cuba and the Philippines, with items donated mainly by his granddaughter.
• Torres de defensa – Room on the defence towers of the Mallorcan coast, with a model of the warning system using smoke or fire signals.

Founded

1991

Operated by

Consorcio Castillo de San Carlos

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Every Wednesday of the year. Free admission also on International Museum Day (in 2026, 16 and 17 May).

Free admission for members of the Friends of the San Carlos Castle Association. General and group tickets are bought online; discounted tickets only at the castle ticket office. Anyone who hires a guide pays for the service separately.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café

Café in the castle. Information point in the museum selling publications on the Llorente Collection.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Hire of spaces for corporate events, concerts, filming, meetings, lectures, weddings and communions, subject to authorisation from the Consortium's Standing Committee.

Plan your visit