Málaga is a city full of museums. At last count there were some three dozen museums operating in the city.

From the Picasso museum to the Museum of Automobiles and Fashion to the Interactive Museum of Music there is something for everyone.

In 2015, a small bit of Paris’ Pompidou Center made it’s way to Malaga for a temporary (five year) stint. It was so successful that the plan is to keep this “pop up museum” open until 2025. Some people believe it could become permanent, but one never knows.

Málaga paid €5 million to bring the center to the city. And they pay another €1.5 million a year while it remains the centerpiece of Málaga’s updated port area.

You can’t miss the spot. A brilliantly-colored 68,000 square foot glass cube, designed by architects Javier Pérez de la Fuente and Juan Antonio Marín Malavé, can’t help but grab your attention. It sparkles in the sun from above while colors dance on the bare white walls below ground at the heart of the museum.

The subterranean museum snakes around and under The Cube’s glow. Temporary exhibits from the Pompidou’s vast collection of 20th century and current art change every six months or so. From paintings and photos to sculpture and architectural plans to interactive installations the exhibits stimulate every sense.

Our visit included an overview of Japanese MidCentury architecture, a dreamy interactive exhibit of everyday objects reimagined, and a thought-provoking post-Covid exhibit called Free Yourself From the Bonds of Everyday Life. But in a few months that will be different.

Hours: 9:30 am to 8 pm every day except Tuesday

Tickets: You fon’t need to purchase tickets in advance. Crowds seem to move steadily through the exhibits so that even at peak times you can get in and through without feeling rushed. At the door, tickets are €9. A third party seller will add a couple of euros to that price. BEST DEAL: Sunday afternoon from 4 pm until close — you pay nothing to get in…it’s FREE