The largest museum in Andalusia by collection size, housed in the Palacio de la Aduana — the 18th-century neoclassical customs house between the Alcazaba and the port. After decades of renovation, the building reopened in 2016 with 2,000 works across two departments: archaeology (Roman Malaca, Phoenician and Moorish artefacts) and fine arts (16th-century Flemish panels through to 20th-century Spanish painting).
The archaeological section is the standout: mosaics from Roman villas in the province, Moorish carved plasterwork from demolished palaces, and Phoenician jewellery from the city's pre-Roman harbour settlement. The fine arts collection has good examples of the Málagueño tradition of sculptural polychromy (painted wooden religious statues), which reached a peak in the 17th century. Entry is free to EU citizens; a small fee for others.