The present seen as a continuum of history and anthropology

The exhibitions and the programme of activities in the museum help visitors understand the present as being fully connected to history and tradition. With this in mind, the History and Anthropology Museum in Tenerife (MHA) combines both sciences in two buildings for the purpose of offering a wider and richer view of the history and culture of the island of Tenerife through its collections. One of the buildings is Casa Lercaro (C/ San Agustín 22, San Cristóbal de la Laguna), and provides an overview of institutional, social, economic and cultural development in Tenerife from the 15th to the 20th centuries. The other site is the Casa de Carta building, considered a fine example of the type of stately home built in the Canary Islands in the 18th century, where a tour of its rooms offers the chance to see a range of typical costumes, examples of popular furniture, traditional ceramics and basketwork, musical instruments played in the locals bands known as "parrandas", and a wide variety of mills for grinding "gofio" (a kind of toasted flour).