Fun Indoor Activities for Kids in Seville: Castillo de San Jorge

Seville turned their old Inquisition Castle into a museum. But, be forewarned, there is not a whole lot about the inquisition in the museum. Still, for a free indoor activity, it is interesting enough to walk through.

 Where: Located in the Mercado de Triana right across the bridge.  Open 10:30 am to 2:00 PM Tuesdays through Sunday.

Cost: Free. Honestly. I would not pay to visit this museum, there's really nothing much to it.

What is it: Castillo San Jorge is the old inquisition prison/castle. The museum is located underneath the Mercado de Triana. The museum used to be much more focused on the Inquisition (I believe it used to be called El Museo de La Tolerancia/the Museum of Tolerance and, as I recall, was a bit gruesome), but they recently rebranded into an art exhibit space featuring religious artifacts created by local artisans. There are wooden walkways among the ruins of the castle which Don Loco enjoyed because "i feel like Pacman." There is a corner where there used to be a video of an inquisitorial trial, but it's now audio-only.

I did enjoy looking at the religious artwork up close. When you see procesiones during religious festivals like Semana Santa, obviously you are quite a distance away and it's hard to appreciate the intricate craftwork that goes into the objects. So that's cool.

However, I was surprised at how hot the museum felt--there are very thick walls in the castillo and it is essentially underground, but it was quite stuffy and warm on a 95+ degree day. Womp womp. However, the Mercado de Triana above the castle is extremely well air-conditioned, so be sure to stop there for a coffee and a sit.

Word to the wise: The museum's bathrooms are located to the right of the tourist info desk at the entrance to the Castillo San Jorge museum. But they are quite cramped and gross. All the lights in the stalls were out at the time I visited. I would recommend using the marketplace bathrooms which are more open and cooler and have lights.

Interesting to see details of items you'd find on a Semana Santa float up close