National Museum of the Performing Arts

The former National Theatre Museum, now the Museum of the Performing Arts, is at Calle Gran Maestre 2, next to the Plaza Mayor. It tells the history of the performing arts in Spain and depends on the Ministry of Culture, through the INAEM. Admission is currently free.

The building and its history

The museum was born from an initiative of Almagro Town Council and the Education and Culture Department of Castilla-La Mancha. Its first home, finished in June 1989, is the building now occupied by the Lace and Blonde Museum. The collection grew so fast that in 1994 the council handed the palaces of the Grand Masters of Calatrava over to the Ministry of Culture to be restored as the National Theatre Museum. It is a mid-13th-century palace with a cloister.

What you see

The collections cover painting, sculpture and works on paper, costume designs and theatrical dress, models and toy theatres, and puppets, plus a library and documentary archive. Among its pieces is the 1725 deck of cards that turned up in the 1950s during the restoration of the Corral de Comedias, the one that helped identify it. There is also a temporary exhibition, also free. With an hour you can see it at leisure.

Guided and dramatised tours

The museum offers free guided tours of the permanent exhibition with Andrea Delicado: in November 2026, on Sundays 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 and on Saturday 28 at 11:30; in December, on Sundays 6 and 20 and Saturday 19, at the same time. Some Saturdays there is also a 50-minute dramatised tour in which three actors bring to life characters such as Margarita Xirgu, Max Estrella or the ghost of Don Juan: on 14 and 21 November and 5 and 12 December, at 12:00. For both, booking is recommended on 926 26 10 14 or at the museum desk.

Hours and rules

From 1 September to 30 June it is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:30, Saturdays from 10:30 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:30, and Sundays and public holidays from 10:30 to 14:00. In July and August the afternoon session is from 17:00 to 19:30. It is closed on Mondays, on 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 24 August and 24, 25 and 31 December. No entry in the last half hour.

Admission is currently free; the published general rate is €3 and the reduced rate €1.50, with many groups exempt, including under-18s and over-65s. There is free wifi and lockers. Eating and drinking in the galleries are not allowed, nor are flash or selfie sticks, nor entering with animals, except assistance dogs. Groups of five or more people should book at least 15 days in advance.

What to combine it with

The museum is next to the Plaza Mayor and the Corral. A good afternoon in Almagro combines the museum visit, a stroll along the grand streets and a classical theatre performance at the Corral in the evening.