Santander’s local museum for modern, contemporary and Cantabrian art. MAS — Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Santander and Cantabria is a quieter alternative to the Centro Botín, but essential if you want to understand the city’s own artistic memory.
At MAS, expect a museum experience built around collection displays and temporary exhibitions. The museum’s current structure presents modern, contemporary and current art, including a floor focused on Cantabrian art from 1978 to 2024. One of its emblematic works is Francisco de Goya’s Fernando VII, from 1814, described by Turismo Santander as a starting point for the museum’s modernity.
You may encounter:
- Modern and contemporary Spanish art
- Cantabrian artists and local artistic memory
- Painting, sculpture, drawing and works on paper
- Temporary exhibitions linked to modern and contemporary art
- A more local, less crowded museum atmosphere
- A useful counterpoint to Centro Botín’s international contemporary programme
The MAS collection also includes around 2,400 additional pieces of varied nature — including numismatics, medals, archaeology and natural-history related holdings — some of which are deposited in other museums in Santander and Cantabria.
Visit MAS as part of a Santander art route: MAS for local modern/contemporary memory, Centro Botín for international contemporary art and architecture, and the bayfront for the full Santander cultural landscape.
This is a compact-to-medium visit. Allow around 60–90 minutes, or closer to 2 hours if there is a strong temporary exhibition.
Because MAS is programme-based and has been evolving after its reopening and recent institutional changes, check the current exhibitions before going. In 2026, local reporting notes that the museum continues activities such as Martes del MAS, family programmes and school initiatives while awaiting a new director after Salvador Carretero’s retirement.
About
The Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo de Santander y Cantabria — MAS is located at Calle Rubio 6, in central Santander. It is a municipal public museum, run by the Ayuntamiento de Santander, dedicated to conserving, studying and presenting its artistic and cultural heritage.
Founded in 1908, the museum has evolved into a space focused on modern, contemporary and current art, with a strong connection to Cantabria. Its collection and displays help position Santander not only as a coastal city with a major contemporary landmark like Centro Botín, but also as a place with its own longer artistic continuity.
Worth the trip
Yes — especially if you want Santander beyond the postcard bay and Centro Botín.
What makes MAS special is its local depth. It does not have the spectacle of a Renzo Piano building or the international visibility of the Botín, but it gives Santander something just as important: continuity, context and artistic roots.
For Artlovers, MAS is worth including because it helps complete the city’s art map. Centro Botín shows Santander looking outward; MAS shows Santander looking at itself — through its artists, collections, modernity, memory and civic cultural life.
