In 2023, the 16 State Museums of Spain, supervised by the Ministry of Culture and administered by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Fine Arts, received a total of 2,778,815 visitors.
According to the Spanish government, this marked a notable increase of 18.15 per cent from the 2,351,887 visits recorded in 2022. The figure translates into an additional 426,928 individuals exploring these cultural institutions compared to the previous year.
Among the museums, the National Archaeological Museum secured first place with 506,873 visits in 2023, surpassing even the pre-pandemic figures of 2019 (499,300 visits). Next is the Sorolla Museum, commemorating the centenary of the Valencian painter’s death, with a milestone of 344,799 visits – a 40 per cent increase from 2022, marking the first time it exceeded 300,000 visits.
The Altamira Museum in Santillana del Mar, Cantabria, took third place with 284,645 visits, reflecting a notable increase of 13.21 per cent compared to 2022.
However, the largest percentage increase has been seen by the Sephardic Museum, located in Toledo, with a growth of 89.51 per cent, reaching 251,740 visitors.
Moreover, the ‘González Martí National Museum of Ceramics and Luxury Arts in Valencia attracted 217,451 visitors last year, marking an increase of 25.88 per cent from 2022.
Further government data also show that the National Museum of Decorative Arts reached 111,308 visits in Madrid, a significant increase of 57.72 per cent, surpassing 100,000 visits for the first time.
At the same time, the Museum of the Americas experienced a 36.58 per cent increase with 86,934 visits. The Costume Museum, Ethnological Heritage Research Center, recorded 80,080 visits – a rise of 20.86 per cent. The Cerralbo Museum reached its highest number of visitors so far, with 164,536 visitors. The National Museum of Sculpture in Valladolid saw a notable increase, hosting 113,129 visits, 19.70 per cent from last year.
Several other state museums that demonstrated significant improvements in 2023, boasting increases of over ten per cent are as follows:
- The Museo del Greco in Toledo 175,296 visitors
- The Cervantes Birthplace Museum in Valladolid 23,259
As the government points out, these figures represent significant steps towards recovering pre-COVID levels of public engagement. As a result, six museums in the state network have already exceeded the attendance figures recorded in 2018 or 2019.
These museums include the National Archaeological Museum, the Sorolla Museum, the National Museum of Romanticism, the National Museum of Ceramics and Sumptuary Arts ‘González Martí,’ the National Museum of Decorative Arts, and the Cerralbo Museum.
