The Museum of La Rioja occupies a beautiful eighteenth-century Baroque palace in the heart of the old town and covers the region's history from prehistoric times through the Roman occupation, the medieval period, and up to the early twentieth century. The building itself — the Palacio del General Espartero — is one of the finest examples of Baroque civic architecture in northern Spain and worth the visit for that alone.
The collections include archaeological material from Roman sites along the Ebro, medieval religious art from the region's monasteries and churches, and a section on the history of winemaking in Rioja that includes ancient presses and storage vessels. Admission is free, and the temporary exhibitions are consistently well-presented. The museum shop stocks a good range of books on Riojan history and wine.