Museo de Artes Decorativas

In Havana’s Vedado district, the Museo de Artes Decorativas occupies a mansion built for the wealthy Gómez-Mena family. Its rooms display furniture, artworks and decorative objects from different cultures, set among French-influenced styles such as rococo, baroque and Regency. Look closely at the interiors as well as the collection: the house itself is a major part of the visit, with a grand dining room and a chandelier-filled main salon. Guided tours in English can add context to the family home and its objects. Allow about an hour.

A family mansion in Vedado

The museum is housed in a mansion built in 1927 for José Gómez Mena, a wealthy Cuban aristocrat. The Gómez-Mena family lived there in the 1940s and 1950s. Its rooms give a sense of the home and tastes of Havana’s affluent families before the Revolution.

French architects designed the house, and its interiors draw on European styles including rococo, baroque and Regency. The museum’s appeal lies in the relationship between the rooms and the objects displayed in them: the architecture is part of the collection to take in as you move through the house.

Furniture, art and decorated rooms

The collection includes antique furniture, paintings and decorative pieces from different countries and cultures. Among the specific objects noted in the collection are Aubusson rugs, a Louis XVI secrétaire and Ming vases. The paintings include works attributed to Tocqué, Nattier and Largillière.

Pay attention to the comedor, or dining room, where silverware is displayed, and the main salon, whose chandeliers give the room its character. Visitors can also find statues in the garden. The museum is relatively small, so the house’s rooms and furnishings may hold as much interest as individual objects.