Elche’s museums thrive in 2024 with over 35,000 visitors

In the first seven months of 2024, Elche’s three municipal museums attracted over 35,000 visitors.

Festa Museum

Among these, the Museo de la Festa experienced the most significant growth, with 6,539 visitors, marking a 19 per cent increase from the same period in 2023.

Of these, more than 5,000 were national tourists, primarily from the Valencian Community, Murcia, Andalusia, and Madrid, while about 2,000 were local residents of Elche.

The museum also welcomed approximately 1,500 international tourists, particularly from Eastern Europe, France, Germany, North and South America, and the UK.

Located in part of the San Sebastián Hermitage, the Museo de la Festa offers an immersive experience of the Mystery Play of Elche through audiovisual presentations, exhibits of texts, photos, models, and artefacts.

The museum saw its highest visitor numbers during the spring and Easter seasons.

Palmeral Interpretation Centre

The Palmeral Interpretation Centre saw a 5 per cent rise in visitors, increasing from 6,265 in early 2023 to 6,600 in 2024. About 65 per cent of these visitors were national, including nearly 2,000 locals from Elche, as well as tourists from the broader Valencian Community, Murcia, Madrid, Catalonia, and Andalusia.

The centre also attracted over 2,300 international visitors, mostly from France, Eastern Europe, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK.

Located in a 19th-century house within the Huerto de San Plácido, the Palmeral Interpretation Centre focuses on the history of the Elche Palm Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with audiovisual presentations, interactive displays, and a garden featuring native plants, traditional crops, and an irrigation system.

Archaeological and History

Elche’s most popular museum, the Archaeological and History Museum of Elche (MAHE), attracted over 21,000 visitors between January and July 2024, representing 60 per cent of total visits.

National tourists accounted for 72 per cent of these visitors, mainly from the Valencian Community, Madrid, Andalusia, and Murcia. International visitors, making up 28 per cent of the total, were predominantly from France, Eastern Europe, and the UK.

The museum’s busiest periods were during the spring and Easter seasons.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Additionally, the Elche Museum of Contemporary Art (MACE), which reopened at the end of 2023 after nearly four years of closure due to technical issues, has drawn attention in 2024.

Its temporary exhibition space featured notable displays such as ‘Figures and Fictions’ by Daniel Coves and ‘New Origins. 70 Years of Creative Research’ by López-Soldado, contributing to the cultural vibrancy of the city.