The Carnival Museum in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is an original venue celebrating one of the island’s most important festivals. We found this museum particularly cheerful and fun, with its extraordinary costumes, dynamic videos and interactive spaces that immerse us in the festive atmosphere of the celebration.
In this article, discover our useful tips in pictures to help you prepare for your visit and have a great time with family and friends!
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Content
Why visit the Maison du Carnaval?
Is the museum worth it? Our opinion:
Yes, the museum is well worth a visit! We plunged right into the heart of the celebrations, with outrageous costumes and cheerful videos that transported us into the festive atmosphere of the event. It’s the ideal place to discover the history and culture of Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife through a fun, interactive experience.
Discover the Carnival House and downtown Santa Cruz on a guided tour. – more information on the activity here!
Why is the museum famous?
This modern museum celebrates the famous Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, declared a “Festival of International Tourist Interest” in 1980. This original venue pays tribute to one of Spain’s most famous carnivals. It also extends the festive spirit of the event throughout the year.
Our favorite moments
During our visit, we particularly appreciated:
- Discover the vintage and artistic designs of past festival posters
- Observing the spectacular outfits of the Carnival Queens
- The original staging of the Children’s Queen 2023
History in brief
The Maison du Carnaval was inaugurated in 2017. The permanent collection is enriched annually with costumes and artifacts from the latest celebration. Today, it also houses a center for documentation and conservation of carnival heritage for students, journalists and researchers.
Access: Carnival Museum, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Where is the museum?
The Carnival Museum is located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife:
- Close to downtown, near Puente Galcerán,
- Along the Barranco de Santos,
- Calle Aguere 17,
- 8-minute walk from the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África,
- 8-minute walk from the Museum of Nature and Man.
Our map will help you find your way around the city:
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How to get there?
To reach the museum, you can choose between 3 options:
- on foot: just a few minutes’ walk from the town center. You’ll walk along the Barranco de Santos to get there from the waterfront.
- by car: access the museum via Calle Aguere, which ends in a dead-end street. Once you’ve reached the Plaza Santa Cruz de la Sierra traffic circle, we recommend you park in the Market Car Park and then walk the rest of the way.
- by public transport: several buses pass through the city. The nearest bus stop is “San Sebastián”, an 8-minute walk from the museum. Find out more on the official website of the local transport network here.
Parking
There is no dedicated parking at the museum, although a few spaces are available in Calle Aguere, but options are limited. Instead, opt for the Parking du Marché, a 7-minute walk away.
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Useful tips: duration, schedules, eating…
Best time to visit
We advise you to avoid the high summer season (July-August) and school vacations. Visit in the morning as soon as it opens, or during lunchtime, to take advantage of lower visitor numbers. Tourists generally favor outdoor activities during their stay in Tenerife. You should be relatively undisturbed as you explore the area.
Length of visit and main difficulties
Allow between 30min and 1h to visit the museum.
It spans 1,052.74 m2 on the first floor. We didn’t observe any special facilities for people with reduced mobility, but the tour is on a single level and the floor is generally smooth. However, we did notice a few steps that can be a problem for wheelchairs in particular.
Advice on how to visit
Start your visit with the current temporary exhibition. For our part, the theme was “Barbie dresses like a queen”. After a tour of the multi-purpose hall, head for the permanent exhibition, featuring costumes and artifacts from winning groups from previous carnivals. Follow the coloured footsteps on the ground! Explore the different rooms of the museum, and scan the QR codes to learn more about the colorful outfits on display. Before you leave, give free rein to your children’s creativity in the masquerade costume area. Who knows, maybe one day they’ll be on stage too?
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Visiting with children
Your children can try on costumes and masks to slip into the shoes of carnival participants. Interactive screens will let them immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere of the celebration. There’s even a small stage for your own family show!
Schedules and rates
The museum is open every day of the week from 9am to 7pm. More up-to-date info here.
Admission is free.
Guided tours
We saw a sign in the museum that read “audioguide”. For a more in-depth immersion in local culture, opt for a guided tour of the Carnival House and downtown Santa Cruz. – more information on this activity here!
Catering
There’s no on-site catering, but you’ll find a small café area. For lunch, we recommend the Restaurant Tasca La Cueva De Madera Leo y Montse, just a 5-minute walk from the museum.
A museum dedicated to Tenerife Carnival
The Carnival Museum is a year-round extension of the festival. It’s a great place to immerse yourself in the local culture. We were impressed by the complexity of some of the out-of-the-ordinary costumes, which gave us an idea of the scale of the event!
An important cultural celebration
One of the biggest carnivals in the world, the Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife is no mean feat. This grandiose celebration reveals the island’s festive soul through an explosion of creativity. In the museum’s aisles, each costume tells a story: here, a monumental dress of dizzying dimensions, there, striking masks that boldly reinvent popular characters. Some masks featuring well-known characters really surprised (and even frightened) us!
The museum houses an exceptional permanent collection featuring costumes from the winning groups and precious historical objects. You’ll discover how this celebration has evolved over time, thanks to the many explanatory panels and screens showing images of the event.
Shimmering, dreamlike costumes
We were dazzled by the originality and exuberance of the costumes on display. Each outfit tells a unique story and is a testament to the boundless creativity of carnival designers. The colorful costumes gave us a glimpse of the festive atmosphere during the celebrations. What do you think of this totally bizarre costume worn by a child at the 2023 festival?
Some creations seem to defy the imagination with their disproportionate proportions and intricate ornamentation. You’re sure to be fascinated, as we were, by the meticulous craftsmanship and rich detail of these wearable works of art.
A dive into the heart of the party
Thanks to the Carnival Queens’ oversized costumes and the screens showing the event, we were right in the middle of the celebrations!
Carnival Queens
We were amazed by the Carnival Queen costumes, the museum’s centerpiece. These spectacular outfits, with their impressive headdresses that seem to defy the laws of gravity, testify to the extraordinary talent of their creators.
We were particularly impressed by the precision and inventiveness of the designers’ work. You’ll notice that these costumes, while beautiful, look uncomfortable to wear, which makes the queens’ performance even more admirable during the festivities.
A unique interactive experience
The museum offers a fun and immersive experience. How would you like to slip into the shoes of a carnival participant? Posters and captivating multimedia content will help you discover the essence of this traditional festival. Children will particularly enjoy trying on masks and wigs, as well as acting on a small stage.
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