The MAS is located in the historic, century-old building designed by architect Leonardo Rucabado in the centre of the city. Since its founding in 1908, the Museum has evolved into what it is today: a place of encounter and exchange of ideas that promotes knowledge of modern, contemporary and contemporary art.
Currently, the MAS's art collection is made up of the institution's own collection of more than 3,500 works of art. In addition to this, the MAS owns some 2,400 pieces of various kinds, with around a hundred of considerable interest. The notable and important pieces in this section are on deposit in museums in the city and region (archaeology, medals, coins, etc.).
Floor 0 is dedicated to national and international Contemporary and Contemporary Art (1983-2023) exhibiting works by Vostell, Hidalgo, Lucas, Koch, Basilico, Corazón, Plossu, González Palma, Navares, Aballí, Guijarro, Costantino, Rinnekangas, Melis, Billingham, Fuchs, Gonnord, Campino, Jerez, Banet, Aires, Bäckström, Castillo, Dean, Partegás...
Floor 1, exhibits collections of the same concept of Contemporary and Contemporary Art (1978-2024), exclusively from Cantabria. Here, and also on Floor 2, Cantabrian artists of the stature of Navarro Baldeweg, Bermejo, Gruber, Cuevas, Uslé, Concha García, Gallego, Civera, Avecilla, Garay, De la Foz, Raba, Cossío, Quirós, Bernardo, Quintanilla, Alvear, Riancho, Sainz and Saiz... are all represented.
Modern Art (1863-1985) is presented on Floors 2 and 3, and Classical Art (16th-1860s) in Room 11. These exhibition spaces contain paintings by famous artists such as Miró, Oteiza and Mallo on Floor 2, and on Floor 3, Lagar, Valle, Iturrino, Blanchard, Alegre, Solana, Clara Trueba and Egusquiza, among others, to close the visit in Room 11, with paintings by Pacheco, Castello, Giordano, Cortellini, D'Óbidos and Goya. This last room is presided over by the emblematic Ferdinand VII (1814) by Francisco de Goya (1746-1828), the starting point of the Museum's modernity.
The visit can be made chronologically from the most recent on Floor 0, to the furthest back in time, in the final room on Floor 3.