Casa Museo Cayetano Gómez Felipe

Updated June 11, 2025

## Casa Museo Cayetano Gómez Felipe: Historic House Museum in La Laguna, Tenerife

Casa Museo Cayetano Gómez Felipe is a historic house museum in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, on Tenerife’s north side. It sits just off Plaza de la Concepción at Plaza de la Concepción 13, 38201 La Laguna (Tenerife).

Housed in a traditional 18th-century Canarian home, it combines architecture, decorative arts, and everyday objects to tell the story of the Canary Islands as a crossroads between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The museum also includes a café and shop wrapped around a leafy interior courtyard.

Use the quick links below to jump around this guide:

– Why this museum matters in La Laguna
– What you’ll see inside
– Practical information: tickets, hours, and access
– Tips for visiting & pairing it with La Laguna’s old town

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## Why Casa Museo Cayetano Gómez Felipe Matters

### A traditional Canarian house from 1703

The building itself is one of the main “exhibits.” It’s a traditional Canarian house from the early 18th century, built in 1703 by Irish merchant Bernard Walsh (often written in Spanish sources as Bernardo Valois).

Typical features you’ll notice from the street and courtyard:

– Whitewashed walls and dark wooden window frames
– A projecting timber balcony over the entrance
– A central interior patio framed by wooden galleries and columns
– Volcanic stone details around doors and ground-floor windows

This layout is characteristic of historic homes across Tenerife and makes the museum an excellent introduction to Canarian domestic architecture.

### Home of a major Canarian collector

In the 20th century the house became the residence of Cayetano Gómez Felipe (1902–1978), a collector from La Palma who settled in La Laguna. He lived here until his death, filling the rooms with art, antiques, and objects related to everyday life in the archipelago.

According to the museum’s own description, the house now holds “the largest collection of antiquities related to art, daily life, and customs in the Canary Islands”, gathered entirely within the archipelago.

### Part of a UNESCO World Heritage city

Casa Museo Cayetano Gómez Felipe sits in the historic center of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, the only city in the Canary Islands whose old town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1999).

That means a visit here doesn’t stand alone: the museum is one stop within a compact pedestrian grid of churches, mansions, and patios that influenced later colonial cities in Latin America.

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## What You’ll See Inside the Museum

### 1. The courtyard and wooden galleries

Stepping through the entrance, you emerge into a lush interior courtyard with potted plants, a stone fountain, and wooden galleries on the upper level.

This space works on several levels:

– Architecture – You can clearly see the structural timber, galleries, and roof form typical of historic Canarian homes.
– Micro-climate – The courtyard channels light and air into the house, an important detail in pre-air-conditioning Tenerife.
– Café area – Tables from the on-site café spill into the patio, so you can sit with a drink and take in the surroundings.

Some travel guides specifically recommend trying their house coffee with cinnamon and lemon, a local twist that has become a small attraction in its own right.

### 2. A collection that follows Canarian life through the centuries

The permanent collection is spread across multiple rooms around the patio. The museum highlights that these are objects owned by the Gómez Felipe family and items Cayetano acquired over his life, reflecting how people on the islands lived, dressed, and decorated their homes.

According to the official site, the collection includes:

– Painting and sculpture – Religious and secular works, including pieces from the baroque period such as “San Cayetano” and images of the Virgin.
– Furniture and architectural elements – Chests, strongboxes, doors, and carved woodwork typical of Canarian homes.
– Glass and ceramics – Tableware and decorative objects showing trade links across Europe and beyond.
– Textiles and clothing – Historic garments, lace, and accessories that document changing fashions in the islands.
– Jewelry and personal ornaments – Gold and emerald earrings and other pieces, some dating from the 18th century.
– Everyday objects – Ironwork, tools, photographs, documents, and household items that anchor the collection in daily life.

Together, these pieces underline Tenerife’s function as a trading crossroads between the “Old” and “New” Worlds, a point the museum explicitly makes in its presentation.

### 3. Temporary exhibitions

The museum regularly stages temporary exhibitions built around themes such as textiles, lace, or mourning dress. Recent examples include displays of historic lace (“encajes y rosetas”) and an exhibition on black clothing used for mourning.

These shows sometimes affect how you visit the permanent collection (see the practical section below), so it’s worth checking the museum’s site shortly before your trip.

### 4. Audio guide and visit structure

The museum uses a structured visit system:

– Visits to the permanent collection begin on the hour, and the museum asks visitors to arrive 5–10 minutes early.
– The audio guide is included in the ticket price and runs on your own mobile phone, with headphones recommended.

This approach helps regulate the flow of people through relatively intimate rooms and keeps noise down, which many visitors appreciate.

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## Practical Information: Tickets, Hours, Access

All details below come from the museum’s official website and related local sources. They can change, so treat them as a snapshot and confirm before your visit.

### Location

– Address: Plaza de la Concepción 13, 38201 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
– The entrance is just off Plaza de la Concepción, close to the tower of the Iglesia de la Concepción.

### Opening hours

The museum distinguishes between collection visits and the shop/café. According to the official “Visita” page:

Casa Museo (shop and café):

– Tuesday–Thursday: 10:00–20:00
– Friday–Saturday: 10:00–21:00
– Sunday: 11:00–16:00
– Closed: Mondays and public holidays

Guided / timed visits to the permanent collection (subject to change):

– Tuesday–Thursday: visits every hour from 12:00 to 18:00
– Friday: visits every hour from 13:00 to 18:00
– Saturday: visits every hour from 13:00 to 18:00
– Monday and public holidays: closed

At the time of the latest update on the official site, Sunday visits to the permanent collection were temporarily suspended because of a temporary exhibition, while the museum itself (courtyard, café, shop) remained open on Sundays.

Because these details can change for exhibitions or events, the museum explicitly warns that hours may vary on certain days and advises checking current information before visiting.

### Tickets and prices

From the official tariff list:

– General admission: €5.00
– Resident ticket (province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife): €3.50
– Reduced ticket: €3.00
– For people over 65, students, unemployed visitors, people with disabilities, and teachers
– School or university groups (special visit): €2.50
– Groups from 10 visitors / associations: €3.00 per person
– Children under 9: free

The audio guide is included in the ticket price (via your own phone). Temporary exhibitions may have a separate ticket (e.g., €2.50 listed on the site).

Online and local travel guides published in 2024–2025 confirm similar prices, which suggests this structure is current, but again, it can be updated over time. Pérez

### Accessibility and visitor rules

The museum puts strong emphasis on accessibility. Its own accessibility section highlights that it is a “museo accesible” with no architectural barriers for visiting the rooms.

Key points:

– Step-free access: there is an adapted entrance for visitors with reduced mobility or physical disabilities; the museum asks you to mention this at reception so staff can open it.
– Lift: an elevator connects the different floors, removing vertical barriers.
– Accessible bathroom: there is an adapted restroom for people with motor disabilities.
– Guide dogs: guide dogs for blind visitors are permitted in the patio; access rules for interior rooms differentiate between patios and collection spaces.
– Calm atmosphere: photography is allowed but no flash or tripod; visitors are asked to keep their voices low, avoid blocking circulation, and not carry large bags or umbrellas into the rooms.

These measures make the museum comparatively inclusive among small house museums, particularly for wheelchair users and visitors who benefit from quieter environments.

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## Tips for Visiting and Combining It with La Laguna

### Time needed

Most visitors spend about 60–90 minutes between the timed collection visit and a drink in the courtyard café. Travel writers who have reviewed the museum describe it as one of the more rewarding stops in La Laguna thanks to the combination of house, collection, and patio café. For 91 Days

### How to get the most from the visit

– Arrive a little early: visits start on the hour; the museum itself recommends arriving 5–10 minutes before your chosen time.
– Use headphones for the audio guide: not only for comfort, but because the museum explicitly asks for this to preserve a quiet atmosphere.
– Plan for the café: several guides highlight the courtyard café as a pleasant break in the middle of a walking day in La Laguna, with that distinctive cinnamon-and-lemon coffee as a small local detail.

### Things to do near Casa Museo Cayetano Gómez Felipe in La Laguna

You’re in the middle of La Laguna’s UNESCO-listed historic grid, so it’s easy to combine the museum with other stops on foot: Lovers: Tenerife + Gran Canaria

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