Tottori Sand Museum Spain Exhibition 2026: Dates, Projection Mapping Show & Visitor Guide

You might associate Tottori with its sweeping sand dunes, but just next door is another attraction worth making time for.

The Tottori Sand Museum is currently presenting Travel Around the World in Sand – Spain: Exploring the Splendour of Empire and the Dreams of Gaudí, an elaborate exhibition that recreates Spanish history, architecture and culture through monumental sand sculptures.

From 21 Nov to 6 Dec 2026, things get even more dramatic. Selected sculptures will become the canvas for a special projection mapping show, bringing centuries of Spanish history and Gaudí-inspired architecture to life with light and moving imagery.

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Spain, recreated with around 3,000 tonnes of sand

Image credit: @tottori_sandmuseum | Instagram

Every exhibition at the Tottori Sand Museum revolves around its concept of “Travel Around the World in Sand”, with a different destination or culture taking centre stage. For its 17th exhibition, Spain gets the spotlight.

Running from 24 Apr 2026 to 3 Jan 2027, the exhibition features 19 sand sculptures created by 20 sculptors from 14 countries, using approximately 3,000 tonnes of sand. The timing is particularly significant. 2026 marks 100 years since the death of Antoni Gaudí, making the celebrated Catalan architect one of the exhibition’s biggest inspirations.

Visitors can expect far more than architectural recreations, though. The exhibition traces different sides of Spanish history and culture, from the Reconquista and Spain’s Golden Age to familiar cultural icons such as bullfighting and Don Quixote.

Of course, Gaudí fans have plenty to look forward to too. One of the exhibition’s centrepieces recreates the Sagrada Família in remarkably intricate detail. The sand sculpture measures approximately 9 metres wide and 6 metres high, giving visitors a closer look at architectural details inspired by Gaudí’s famous Barcelona landmark.

Another enormous work combines two of Spain’s most recognisable historic landmarks, the Alhambra Palace and the Alcázar of Segovia. At around 20 metres wide and 5 metres high, it is among the largest pieces in the exhibition.

Then the sand sculptures come alive after dark

Image credit: The Sand Museum | Threads

If you’re visiting Tottori between late November and early December, this is where things get especially interesting. The museum will present a limited-time projection mapping experience titled The Glory of Spain: A History of Glory, A Sparkle of Creativity. The show uses two of the exhibition’s major sculptures as its screen: Spanish Landscapes – Alhambra Palace and Alcázar of Segovia and The Fall of Granada – Completion of the Reconquista.

Combined, the projection surface measures approximately 20 metres wide and 10 metres high. Visuals inspired by Spain’s history, including the Reconquista, as well as Gaudí’s architecture, will be projected directly across the sculpted surfaces.

Unlike watching projection mapping on a conventional building façade, the irregular contours, figures and architectural details carved into the sand become part of the visuals themselves. Each performance lasts around eight minutes, with shows beginning every 30 minutes from 4pm. The sculptures remain illuminated between performances, so there is still plenty to see even if you arrive in between showtimes.

Projection mapping showtimes

• From Sunday to Thursday, shows will take place at:

4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm, 5.30pm, 6pm, 6.30pm and 7pm.

• On Fridays, Saturdays and 22 Nov, there will be an additional performance at 7.30pm.

There is no separate ticket for the projection mapping. Entry is included with normal Sand Museum admission. During the event period, opening hours will also be extended. From Sunday to Thursday, the museum will operate from 9am to 7.30pm, with last admission at 7pm. On Fridays, Saturdays and 22 Nov, it will remain open until 8pm, with last admission at 7.30pm.

Make it a full evening at the Tottori Sand Dunes

Image credit: The Sand Museum | Threads

Here’s another reason to visit during this period. The nearby Tottori Sand Dunes Illusion 2026 will also take place from 21 Nov to 6 Dec 2026, making it easy to experience both events in the same evening.

This year’s illumination is themed around “Tottori Blue”, taking inspiration from the blues of Tottori’s sea and clear skies. The lights will be switched on around the Tottori Sand Dunes car park from 6pm to 9pm daily, and admission to the illumination is free.

A simple plan would be to visit the Sand Museum in the late afternoon, catch the projection mapping once the lights come on, then continue towards the dunes for the evening illumination. Not a bad way to experience one of Japan’s most distinctive landscapes after sunset.

The Sand Museum is celebrating 20 years in Tottori

Image credit: The Sand Museum | Threads

The Spain exhibition also arrives during a milestone year for the museum. The Tottori Sand Museum first opened in 2006, initially displaying its sand sculptures outdoors before later moving into a dedicated indoor exhibition hall. Since then, its exhibitions have explored destinations and regions including Italy, Southeast Asia, Russia, Germany, South America, Northern Europe, Egypt, France and Japan.

The museum has welcomed more than six million visitors since opening, and part of its appeal lies in how temporary each exhibition is. Once a theme ends, the sculptures are dismantled and the sand is reused to create an entirely new collection. That means what you see during one visit may never exist in quite the same form again.

How much does it cost?

Regular admission to the Sand Museum is:

• Adults: ¥800

• Elementary, junior high and high school students: ¥400

• Preschool-aged children: Free

Group rates are also available for groups of 20 or more.

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How to get to the Tottori Sand Museum

Image credit: The Sand Museum | Threads

The museum is located at 2083-17 Yuyama, Fukube-cho, Tottori City, right by the Tottori Sand Dunes area.

If you’re travelling by public transport, buses connect JR Tottori Station with the Sand Museum and Tottori Sand Dunes area, making it easy to pair both attractions in a single outing. Tottori also works well as an addition to a wider western Japan itinerary, particularly for travellers coming from the Kansai region.

One more reason to catch this exhibition while you can

The Spain exhibition will remain at the Sand Museum until 3 Jan 2027, after which the museum will prepare for another transformation.

Its next major exhibition, scheduled from 23 Apr 2027 to 3 Jan 2028, will turn its attention to the Silk Road, marking 150 years since German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen coined the name for the historic trade-route network.

So if you happen to be travelling through Tottori this November or December, the combination of monumental sand art, Gaudí-inspired architecture, projection mapping and the neighbouring Sand Dunes illumination makes this an especially interesting time to visit.