Heritage Malta

Heritage Malta is the body behind a large share of the sights UK visitors tick off on a trip to the islands. It is the national agency for museums, conservation and cultural heritage, and it manages more than 90 museums, landmarks, national monuments and underwater sites. If you have walked through a Neolithic temple, toured a palace or gone down into a catacomb in Malta or Gozo, there is a good chance this organisation was responsible for looking after it.

Its head office is in Kalkara, in the former Royal Naval Hospital above Grand Harbour. This page explains what the agency does, which places it runs and how visitors, schools and businesses can work with it. It is listed in our directory of museums in Malta, and you can plan wider trips with our guide to things to do in Malta.

Who Heritage Malta is

The agency can trace its formal origins to 1903 and acts as guardian of more than 8,000 years of history. Its portfolio includes archaeological sites, baroque auberges and palaces, catacombs, forts, natural landscapes and UNESCO-listed Neolithic monuments, and it manages seven World Heritage Sites. The aim is to keep these places safe and resilient while making them open to everyone, which is why conservation labs and restoration teams sit at the centre of its work.

Its motto, ensuring a future to our past, is carried out by a team of curators, archaeologists, architects, digital and scientific specialists, conservators and restorers. The board is chaired by Mario Cutajar and the chief executive is Noel Zammit, who has held the post since 2017. To learn more about the order that built many of the fortified sites, read our Knights of Malta guide.

The agency's work goes beyond looking after buildings. Interpretation, outreach, consultancy, publishing, corporate events and public programmes such as exhibitions, cooking demonstrations and open days make up much of what it does, because the goal is to inspire younger generations as well as preserve what has survived. The idea is to treat heritage as something that belongs to every resident and visitor, with stories that stretch from stone-age settlers to seafaring traders, empire builders and modern Maltese leaders.

How the agency is organised

Heritage Malta is divided into specialist departments: conservation, curatorial, digitisation, education and outreach, exhibitions, information technology, projects, publishing and didactic resources, and an underwater cultural heritage unit. A technology and experience development unit looks at new ways of presenting collections to visitors. Each department supports the public sites, which means a gallery label, a restored ceiling and an audio guide may all come from the same organisation.

Alongside the departments sit several subsidiaries and commercial arms. These are a diagnostic science laboratory, DigiArc, exclusive venues, heraldry, merchandising and publications, and Taste History. Together they give the agency a source of income and a set of services that businesses, researchers and families can use directly.

Sites and museums you can visit

The range is wide. Highlights shown on the agency's own pages include the Grand Master's Palace in Valletta, the Domvs Romana in Rabat, the Borġ in-Nadur prehistoric complex, the Gran Castello Historic House in Gozo, the Ħal Tarxien Prehistoric Complex and the wreck of the SS Polynesien for divers. Fort St Angelo in Birgu, the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta and the Ta' Ħaġrat megalithic site at Mġarr are also featured.

For a deeper look at the prehistoric side, our directory has pages on the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum and the temples at Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, and our short guides explain the Hypogeum visit and the Ħaġar Qim temples for first-time visitors.

Different parts of the islands suit different days out. The harbour forts and palaces cluster around the capital and the Three Cities, which our Valletta guide and Vittoriosa guide cover, while Roman and medieval history gathers in and around Mdina, covered in our Mdina guide. Gozo has its own sites, described in our Gozo guide.

Variety is part of the appeal. The agency's collections run from prehistoric caves to underground passageways and from geology to ethnography, and include industrial and underwater heritage, so a rainy day can be as rewarding as a sunny one. In hot weather, shaded indoor museums and cool rock-cut chambers are a welcome change from the beach.

Exhibitions, events and workshops

Heritage Malta runs a changing calendar of exhibitions, talks, workshops and open days. Recent listings include Living for Eternity, an exhibition about the ancient Egyptians that opens on 21 November 2026 and runs to 16 May 2027, a Refrigerium event on 31 October 2026 and a hands-on workshop on making traditional Maltese cheeselets on 3 November 2026. Recent news includes the award of Malta's first European Heritage Label to St Paul's Catacombs.

Membership gives twelve months of free entry to exhibitions and to member-only events, which suits anyone planning a long stay or several trips. The agency also issues senior and student passports, and holders of passports and members may enter some sites free of charge, so ask about the discounts that apply to your age and plans before you pay full price.

Conservation, science and digital work

Behind the public sites is a large technical operation. Departments cover conservation, curatorial work, digitisation, education and outreach, exhibitions, publishing and an underwater cultural heritage unit, and subsidiaries include a diagnostic science laboratory and the digital archive company DigiArc. The agency also runs a technology and experience development unit that explores new ways to present collections.

Restoration projects are visible to visitors too. Recent news covers the Palace Tapestries project, which is restoring the Tapestry Chamber, and the agency works with other bodies on conservation, research and education, including the University of Malta, MCAST, Parks Malta, St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Services for organisations

Beyond tickets, Heritage Malta sells expertise. Its commercial services include cultural heritage and archaeological consultancy, archaeological monitoring, surveying and photogrammetry, multimedia and audiovisual production, digitisation, scientific analysis, publications and eBooks, and registration of heraldic coats of arms. It also rents exclusive venues in its palaces and auberges for conferences, corporate events, seminars, weddings and location shoots, and operates a catering venture called Taste History.

A shop and online store sell publications and merchandise. If you are researching a family coat of arms, planning an event in a historic setting, or running a school trip, use the enquiry route on this page to say which department you need and we will pass your message on.

Visiting, accessibility and tickets

Each museum and site has its own ticket prices and opening hours, so check the details for the place you plan to visit. Tickets can be bought online, and some sites reduce prices for children, youths, seniors, students and concessions, with infants often admitted free. Audio guides are offered at many sites, though the languages differ from place to place.

Everyone is welcome, and the agency works to make collections and buildings accessible. Visitors can borrow a wheelchair and use sensory maps at some sites, and the Tarxien temple complex, for instance, has a fully accessible walkway. Because many sites are old and protected, access to upper floors or rock-cut areas can be limited, so read the access notes for each place before you travel.

Volunteering, donations and partnerships

Families, school groups, students and seniors each have a dedicated route through the agency's offer, and the education and outreach department designs programmes for different ages. Workshops, school visits and tours of specific sites can be arranged, and teachers can ask about resources for classroom use before a visit. Senior and student passports are available for older and younger visitors who plan to see several places.

Volunteers can take on roles in museums, nature sites, archives, digitisation, workshops for families, retail outlets and underwater heritage, with flexible hours and benefits such as a membership card and discounts on events and publications. Individuals can give donations to conserve an artefact or leave a legacy, and organisations can sponsor projects, restoration or exhibitions in return for visibility.

To ask about visiting, tickets, guided tours, events or venue hire, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Heritage Malta.