Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Museu Nacional Arqueològic de Tarragona

Archaeological museum of Roman Tarragona, closed for works on the Plaça del Rei, with reopening planned for late 2026.

Temporarily closed

Temporarily closed (expected until 2026). The building on the Plaça del Rei is closed for renovation of the building and the museography. For now, only the Mosaic of the Fishes remains there. The other MNAT sites (Villa romana dels Munts, the Roman complex of Centcelles, Pedrera del Mèdol and others) remain open with their own opening hours.

About the museum

The Museu Nacional Arqueològic de Tarragona is the oldest archaeological museum in Catalonia. Its collections began to be assembled in the first half of the 19th century and passed into public hands in 1845, under the Comisión Provincial de Monumentos; the first catalogue was published in 1852. The collections grew with finds from urban and port works, chance discoveries and private donations. The excavations of Joan Serra Vilaró in the Forum Colonial and the Necropolis (1926-1933) changed how the museum was stocked, and from 1981, with the Servei d'Arqueologia de Catalunya, excavations became almost the only source of objects.

Since 1960 the museum has occupied a classical-style building on the Plaça del Rei, in the upper part of the city, designed by the architect Francesc Monravà Soler. In 1987 the technical services moved to a new building next to the Necropolis and the exhibition space was enlarged; in 1993 a major museographic reform took place. In the basement a stretch of the Roman city wall of ancient Tarraco is preserved, and the best-known pieces include the Mosaic of the Fishes, the Mosaic of the Medusa, the epigraphy and an opus sectile pavement.

In 2018 the museum closed for a comprehensive renovation. The first phase, from 2019, renewed the air conditioning, insulation, lighting, electrical installations, the lift and the assembly hall; the second focuses on the new museography, with around 2,500 m² and nearly a thousand objects, some never shown before. In the meantime the MNAT keeps other archaeological sites in the region open.

Highlights

Oldest archaeological museum in Catalonia
Collection centred on Roman Tarraco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Mosaic of the Fishes and Mosaic of the Medusa
Epigraphy and an opus sectile pavement
Stretch of the Roman city wall in the basement of the building

Founded: 1844

Admission & discounts

The museum is closed for works; reopening is planned for the last quarter of 2026.

Accessibility

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

The first phase of the renovation (from 2019) included a new lift with double access and accessibility improvements; the 1993 museographic reform had already improved access.