5 hidden-gem museums in Cuba with incredible exhibits! [2024]

Cuba is an underrated country filled with a rich history, amongst other unique attractions that you should definitely visit if you have the chance. 

Cuba's rich history makes it a fantastic place for museums to document so much of this country's legacy. With over 50 museums in its capital Havana alone, there's a large variety of places to visit, especially if you want to discover more about Cuba and its history, art, and culture. 

Cuba is known for so many things. Cigars, rum, salsa, Cuban dance styles, and the revolutionaries of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara are just a selection of the country's highlights. There are many museums dedicated to all of these things and more! 

Here's a selection of some of Cuba's top must-visit museums to suit your needs and interests.

5 Museums in Cuba with unique exhibits!

Museo de la Ciudad (Museum of the City)

Located in the former palace of the Captain-General, this museum highlights Cuba's colonial period and its fight for independence. What's more, the building itself also offers insight into Cuban baroque architecture. 

The Museo de la Ciudad is home to a wide variety of art, pottery, and furniture that give you an insight into Cuba's pasts. The museum features several collections that tell the story of Cuba's journey into becoming the country it is now. 

The museum has nearly 40 rooms, each devoted to different aspects of Cuba's culture, heritage, and identity. You can even look at what is thought to be Cuba's first flag, first used in 1850! It's well worth visiting if you want to learn more about how Cuba became the country it is now. 

Open Tuesday to Saturday with reduced opening hours on Sunday also. Tickets start at roughly $8.

National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana

If you're interested in art, look no further than Cuba's National Museum of Fine Arts. This museum is split across two sites in Havana's city center and is organized chronologically. It features 24 rooms that slowly work their way through the centuries.

The National Museum of Fine Arts features ancient art collections, temporary exhibitions, and spaces dedicated to pieces from every era, perfect for those to immerse in Cuban artwork. The museum features paintings, sculptures, and art installations, amongst other things, by some of the most famous Cuban artists across history, including René Portocarrero and Wifredo Lam. 

The museum also houses work that showcases Cuba's identity throughout the years ranging from work following the 1959 revolution to the collapse of the Soviet Union and more.

Open Tuesday to Saturday with reduced opening hours on Sunday. Prices start at roughly $8 for entry.

Museo de la Revolucion (Museum of the Revolution)

One of the most fascinating parts of Cuba's history is its fight for independence. And this is a museum dedicated entirely to that struggle for freedom. The Fulgencio Batista dictatorship controlled the country for most of the 50s. A movement led by Fidel Castro enabled Cuba we know today to take shape. 

The museum houses numerous artifacts and objects that highlight this history. There are torture devices, weapons, uniforms, and more personal items that document the human effect the dictatorship and revolution had. 

The museum has an indoor and outdoor section and numerous different exhibitions to help you learn about Cuba's past. The outside of the museum also lets you see tanks, planes, and cars used by the Cuban revolutionaries. It's even home to the Granma Yacht used by Fidel Castro after returning from exile in Mexico. If you want to really feel close to history, this is worth visiting. 

The museum is open daily and costs roughly 8 dollars for entry. To take photos, you do need to pay an extra $2. 

Havana Club Rum Museum

One of Cuba's most famous exports is its rum! So, if you're a rum drinker (and even if you're not), then this is a fascinating place to visit! 

The Havana Club Rum Museum will let you uncover the drink's origins and its history. Guided tours are available where you'll learn all about the rum-making process as you work your way through the museum. Have the chance to taste Cuban cocktails and rum shots in the bar! 

You'll start at the beginning learning about sugar plantations before discovering more about the distillery, rum production, aging process, and consumption. If that's not enough, you can even take home your own bottles of rum (or several) after visiting the gift shop! 

The Havana Club Rum Museum is open Monday to Friday and costs roughly $7.

Pharmaceutical Museum

Located in Matanzas, this museum houses everything related to medicine and medicine-related advancements during the 19th century. 

If you want to learn more about health and medicine from the past, this museum is for you. You will be able to appreciate the pharmacy exterior as it was in the 19th century and feel as though you're stepping back in time. 

Founded by Ernesto Triolet in 1882, the pharmaceutical museum is the first medical museum in Latin America and one of the best-preserved in the world. The museum offers guided tours showing you different parts of the pharmacy, including the lab, preserved to show how it would've been used. Housing old medical books, tools, and even some natural ingredients, you'll be able to understand how people were treated before advances in modern medicine.

The museum is open daily and costs roughly $3.

Learn more about Cuba through their museums!

So, we have a selection of some of the best and most famous of Cuba's museums. Regardless of whether you're interested in art, history, or culture, there is something to suit everyone's needs. Cuba has such a fascinating past that makes any of these museums well worth a visit if you want to discover more about the things that have made the country how it is today. 

Plan your trip to Cuba

If you have the chance to visit Cuba, you definitely won't want to miss out on these museums. Make sure you put it into your itinerary or wishlist now in case you forget! Speaking of a travel itinerary, have you heard of Pilot?