Jurassic Museum of Asturias

The Jurassic Museum of Asturias (MUJA) is a regional natural history museum in Colunga, Asturias, focused on Jurassic-era fossils and palaeontology; the museum opened to the public in 2004. It presents both scientific specimens and life-scale models to interpret the Mesozoic landscapes of northern Spain.

Exhibits include skeletal reconstructions, fossil casts and explanatory displays covering the local stratigraphy and important finds from the Asturian coast. The layout is designed for family audiences and educational groups, with indoor galleries and interpretive materials that link to nearby field sites.

The museum was established to conserve and interpret the region’s palaeontological heritage and to serve as a centre for research and outreach. Since opening it has been a hub for fieldwork on local Jurassic successions and a popular stop on eastern Asturias’ coastal visitor route.

MUJA stands near the coastal villages of Colunga and Lastres in eastern Asturias, with the Playa de la Griega footprint site only a short drive to the north-east; the surrounding landscape is coastal with cliffs and beaches exposing fossil-bearing rocks.

• Local fossil trail: The museum is in Colunga and is often visited in combination with nearby coastal fossil sites and the Playa de la Griega dinosaur tracks, which lie a few kilometres away.

What to See #

• Main exhibition halls: Permanent exhibition halls that showcase fossil casts, original specimens and life-size dinosaur reconstructions covering local Mesozoic fauna.
• Nearby footprint sites: Outdoor displays and information panels linking the museum with nearby fossil sites such as the dinosaur footprint locality at Playa de la Griega, a short drive from the museum.