Cáceres Museum

Cáceres Museum is the provincial museum of Cáceres, set inside the medieval old town that forms part of the city's UNESCO World Heritage centre. It occupies two linked historic buildings on Plaza de las Veletas: the 16th-century Palace of Las Veletas and the adjoining House of Los Caballos. Open since 1933, it brings together archaeology, ethnography and fine art from across Extremadura under one roof.

What is there to see inside?

The museum's standout feature sits beneath the Renaissance cloister of the Palace of Las Veletas: a Hispano-Muslim cistern, or aljibe, considered one of the best-preserved structures of its kind anywhere on the Iberian Peninsula. Built by Berber craftsmen between the 9th and 11th centuries, the cistern measures roughly 14 by 10 metres and survives as a remnant of the Almohad-era fortress that once stood on the site. The rest of the building was reconstructed in the 16th century and further remodelled during the 17th and 18th centuries, so the cistern is genuinely older than almost everything built around it today. Its horseshoe arches rest on a floor sealed with a 30-centimetre layer of waterproof mortar, and builders reused stone salvaged from earlier Roman and Visigothic structures during its construction.

Visitors today mainly explore the House of Los Caballos, which holds the museum's permanent exhibition across two floors. The first floor is dedicated to archaeology and early art, displaying archaeological finds, paintings, sculpture and goldsmith's work spanning prehistory through the 18th century. The second floor traces Spanish and Extremaduran art from the 19th to the 21st century, with sculpture, paintings and installation pieces by more recent artists.

How do you get there?

The museum sits on Plaza de las Veletas, right in the historic centre of Cáceres, within easy walking distance of the main Plaza Mayor. The entire old town is a pedestrian zone, so walking is by far the easiest way to arrive — the stroll from Plaza Mayor typically takes only a few minutes, longer if you pause along the way to take in the surrounding stone mansions. Visitors arriving by car should plan to park outside the city walls, since vehicle access within the old town is restricted.

When should you visit, and what does it cost?

Admission to the museum is free. Opening hours run Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 to 15:00 and again from 16:00 to 20:00; Saturdays and public holidays from 10:00 to 15:00 and 16:00 to 20:00; and Sundays from 10:00 to 15:00 only. The museum is closed every Monday. Entry closes ten minutes before the posted closing time, so it is worth arriving with a comfortable margin, especially if you want to see both the cistern and the full exhibition in the House of Los Caballos.

Weekday mornings tend to be the quietest time to visit, and daylight filtering into the cloister above the cistern makes for particularly good viewing conditions then. Keep in mind that the cistern itself sits at basement level, so the temperature inside is noticeably cooler than outdoors — a welcome break from Extremadura's summer heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an entrance fee for Cáceres Museum? No, admission to the exhibitions and to the Arab cistern is completely free.

How much time should I set aside for a visit? Seeing both floors of the House of Los Caballos along with the cistern usually takes around one to one and a half hours, depending on your pace.

Is the museum accessible for visitors with limited mobility? The buildings are historic and include stairs and uneven surfaces, particularly in the area around the cistern, so visitors with mobility needs should check ahead by phone about what accommodations are available on site.

Can you visit the Arab cistern separately from the rest of the museum? The cistern is part of the standard route through the Palace of Las Veletas and is included in the same free admission as the rest of the museum's collection.