Museo de Antropología de Tenerife

Museo de Historia y Antropología de Tenerife (MHAT), also known as the Museum of Anthropology, operates in San Cristóbal de La Laguna on Tenerife. Its main site is the historic house Casa Lercaro on Calle San Agustín, and a second site, Casa de Carta, stands in Valle de Guerra about 15 km away.

What is this museum?

It belongs to the network of museums of the Cabildo de Tenerife (Organismo Autónomo de Museos). The Casa Lercaro site opened in December 1993. The exhibition shows the development of the island from the 15th to the 20th century, with emphasis on its institutional, socio-economic and cultural history. It is a good starting point for understanding how modern Tenerife came to be.

What will I see in Casa Lercaro?

The house is itself an architectural monument of La Laguna. A legend also surrounds the building, about a young woman of the Lercaro family who took her own life on her wedding day. The interiors present the history of the island in chronological and thematic order up to the 20th century.

What does Casa de Carta offer?

The second site is a restored 18th-century manor house, regarded as a significant example of manor architecture in the Canary Islands. It displays traditional clothing, folk furniture, ceramics and basketry, instruments used at parrandas (informal music gatherings) and a variety of gofio mills, the tools for grinding toasted grain into flour, a staple of Canarian cooking.

How do I get there and how long should I allow?

Casa Lercaro is at Calle San Agustín 22, San Cristóbal de La Laguna; Casa de Carta is at Calle El Vino 44 in Valle de Guerra. Allow about an hour and a half for one site, and half a day for both. Hours and prices change, so check museosdetenerife.org before your visit or call +34 922 825 949 (Casa Lercaro) or +34 922 546 308 (Casa de Carta).

Why is it worth visiting?

The museum combines two perspectives: the institutional and economic history of the island in the centre of La Laguna, and everyday culture shown in Valle de Guerra. You can see how Tenerife took shape from the 15th century and how its people lived.

Frequently asked questions

Is it one museum or two?

One museum with two sites: Casa Lercaro in La Laguna and Casa de Carta in Valle de Guerra.

Since when has Casa Lercaro operated as a museum?

Since December 1993.

What does Casa de Carta display?

Clothing, furniture, ceramics, baskets, instruments and gofio mills.

Where can I get current ticket information?

On museosdetenerife.org or by phone.