Museum of Natural Sciences
The museum is located in the Tower of Doña Ochanda, a 15th century stronghold that defended the city wall from its outer façade. The palace was rebuilt in the 16th century by Don Andrés Martínez de Iruña who named it after his daughter, Doña Ochanda.
The first floor of the museum is dedicated to the world of geology and to the interesting local amber deposits with insect inclusions. The second floor covers the areas of botany and zoology.
The Álava Museum of Natural Sciences first opened its doors to the public in May 1986. And it did so next to the west facing Portal of Aldave of the old low wall, in the beautiful medieval tower where Dona Ochanda of Iruña y Álava and her husband Commander Don Juan de Guereña lived during the 16th century.
The balance between services and facilities, both for visitors and research staff, as well as the magnificent museum displays, have made this public centre a veritable benchmark in the field of Natural Sciences.
The Museum has a commitment with the people of Álava to guarantee the conservation of the extraordinary cultural heritage that it possesses in the field of natural sciences and to advance scientific knowledge of these facts and share them collectively.