Top 19 Barcelona Museums

This article was last updated on 4th March 2024.

The Museum Scene…

Barcelona undeniably plays second fiddle in Spain when it comes to museums. The capital, Madrid, boasts the nation’s most celebrated vaults, in the forms of the world famous El Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen Museum. However, there’s still plenty to see here on the coast of Catalonia…

Not one, but two of the 20th century’s greatest artists – Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali – have museums in and around the city…

Not one, but two of the 20th century’s greatest artists – Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali – have museums in and around the city, while ground-breaking Catalan greats, Joan Miro and Antoni Tapies, also have their own foundations dedicated to their life works, which are well worth viewing.

The stunning MACBA museum is also a skateboarding mecca…

One could argue that the city itself serves as museum of Modernista architecture (the Catalan take on Art Nouveau), and its leading exhibitor is of course Antoni Gaudi. Most of his works are open to the public, so we’ve taken a broad interpretation of ‘museums’ when compiling this list of worthy cultural attractions, because you won’t want to miss the star of Barcelona’s show reel.

Other fan favourites include Poble Espanyol, a sprawling ‘Spanish village’ of attractions on Montjuic hill, the Chocolate Museum, with its edible tickets, and the quirky Frederic Mares Museum.

Some might say the entire city is a Gaudi museum…

Sporty types won’t want to miss the FC Barcelona Museum – where trophies galore, 3D shows and memorabilia tell the rich history of one of the planet’s most successful football clubs. You even get to tour the stadium and dressing rooms!

Visitor Tips

It’s worth checking opening times of any museum you wish to visit, as some are closed on Mondays, whilst others are free to visit on certain days. The Picasso Museum, for example, is free on the first Sunday of the month (however, in this specific case, I’d recommend paying to visit any other day, if you can afford it, as the crowds are hellish whenever it’s free!).

Arguably, a more comfortable and reliable way to save money is to invest in a Museum Pass. More info on some options later on this page…

Table of Contents

Here’s what to expect on this page (our rating out of 10 in brackets!):

1. Picasso Museum (9/10)
2. National Museum of Catalan Art (MNAC) (8/10)
3. Joan Miro Foundation (8/10)
4. Modern Art Museum of Barcelona (MACBA) (8/10)
5. Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona (CCCB) (8/10)
6. Antoni Tapies Foundation (7/10)
7. Sagrada Familia (11/10!!!)
8. Park Guell (10/10)
9. Gaudi House Museum (7/10)
10. Casa Mila (9/10)
11. Casa Batllo (9/10)
12. Poble Espanyol (8/10)
13. FC Barcelona Museum (8/10)
14. Chocolate Museum (7/10)
15. Museum of History of Barcelona (MUHBA) (8/10)
16. Nuria Pla House Museum (8/10)
17. Frederic Mares Museum (7/10)
18. Egyptian Museum (7/10)
19. Dali Theatre-Museum (Figueres) (10/10)

Part I: Art Museums

Without further ado, here’s our list of the 17 best collections in town. To make the list more manageable we’ve broken this down into four categories… art museums, Gaudi buildings, fun museums and history museums. And we’ll put Dali in a league of his own.

1. Picasso Museum

Barcelona is the city Picasso considered home, despite spending only a handful of years here (he refused to move back to Spain during the Franco years, settling in Paris instead). Opened by the artist’s personal secretary in 1963, this impressive building in El Born hosts 3,500 of Picasso’s works covering the many stages in his artistic evolution. If you only know Pablo for his Cubist works, you’ll see a different side to the artist in his more realistic Blue and Rose periods, and you’ll be able to admire his lesser known flair for pottery and sculpture. You can grab tickets on their official website, save money with a Barcelona Card (see below), or take a small-group guided tour. Art lovers will enjoy the extra insight the tour offers!

2. National Museum of Catalan Art

An editorial fave, the MNAC (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya) sits on top of the Western side of Montjuic mountain, in a magnificent building called the Palau Nacional, which overlooks the famous Magic Fountain of Barcelona. Within the palace’s regal confines you’ll find three floors of art, beginning with Catalonia’s legacy of Romanesque religious art. If you’re short on time, I’d advise you to devote the majority of your time and attention to the colourful and romantic works of the 20th Century, on the third floor, where you’ll find works by the talented Ramon Casas, alongside Picasso and Camarasa, and furniture by Gaudi. Closed on Mondays, half day only on Sundays.

3. Joan Miro Foundation

This tribute to Catalonia’s famous artist is set high on the leafy slopes of Montjuic mountain (the home of many other cultural treasures such as the Olympic Stadium, Poble Espanyol and the aforementioned National Museum of Catalan Art!). It inhabits a sprawling white modern complex, built for purpose by the talented Josep Lluis Sert in 1975. The foundation, set up by Miro himself, owns 217 paintings, 178 sculptures and some 8,000 drawings by the artist, from his early fauvist-inspired works through surrealism to his more experimental latter works. At the heart of much of his works is the land he came from. Hemingway himself was a fan, buying Miro’s The Farm and saying of it: It has in it all that you feel about Spain when you are there and all that you feel when you are away and cannot go there.

4. MACBA

Barcelona’s Contemporary Art Museum is most commonly known by its acronym, MACBA. This pristine white beauty of a building, designed by Richard Meier, is a work of art in itself… but pay a little bit extra and you can step inside to see what’s cooking in the world of contemporary art. That is if you can navigate your way past the hordes of skateboarders who consider the square outside a great place to practice their ollies and grinds. Closed on Tuesdays.

5. CCCB

The Centre of Contemporary Culture in Barcelona is one of my favourite high brow hang outs, as it features not just exhibitions of particular artists, but thought provoking exhibitions based around themes like video games, photography, cinema and social politics, as well as the occasional poetry slams and musical performances. The centre doesn’t have a permanent collection, but there’s usually at least two exhibitions taking place at any one time. For new visitors to Barcelona, it’s worth knowing that the CCCB is just behind the MACBA, so it is easy to visit both in the same afternoon.

6. Antoni Tapies Foundation

Spain’s most famous post-war artist, Tapies was born in Barcelona and you can find his foundation in one of the city’s classic red-brick Modernista marvels, by the architect Domenech i Montaner. Its Moorish turrets are decorated by a vast tumbling morass of barbed wires… an installation created by Tapies himself. Inside, the ride into experimental art continues, as Tapies – taking over the baton from fellow Catalan, Joan Miro – uses different media and textiles to create his obras de arte. As it’s just around the corner from Gaudi’s Casa Batllo, you you might want to combine the two.

Part III: Fun Museums

Let’s take a look at some of the more interactive, quirky and family-friendly museums in Barcelona.

12. Poble Espanyol Village

Artificial tourist attraction to some, charming architectural museum to others, the Poble Espanyol (‘Spanish Village’) was originally created for the 1929 International Fair and is a sprawling, life-size showcase of Spanish architecture from every region of the Iberian peninsular. Within this miniature town you can find artisan workshops, flamenco tablaos, restaurants, souvenir shops and even nightclubs. Other highlights include FIESTA, a rollercoaster audiovisual introduction to Spain’s craziest festivals (think Running of the Bulls and La Tomatina!), and the Fran Daurel Museum, which contains art by Picasso, Miro and Dali. The complex also plays host to a number of events throughout the year, from Christmas celebrations to beer festivals. Read our feature length review here.

13. FC Barcelona Museum

How did we get this far down the list, without mentioning this shining hall of champions! In fact this museum, chock full of trophies and multimedia displays, and entire room dedicated to Lionel Messi, is only part of the “Camp Nou Experience” which also takes you to the stadium itself, through the players’ tunnel, into the away dressing rooms and other cool spaces, like the FC Barcelona chapel! A must for sports fans.

14. Chocolate Museum

Need to motivate the kids to do some sightseeing… the Chocolate Museum, with it’s Willy Wonka-style edible ‘ticket’ on entry and gift shop full of tempting treasures, should be an easy sell! Chocolate has played an important role in the history and development of Barcelona, and the museum does a good job of telling the confectionary’s story in Spain via displays and historic artefacts. The choco-sculptures are impressive too! You can find the attraction in a former monastery in El Born.

Part IV: History Museums

Explore the city’s Roman origins, or find a surprise collection of Egyptian artefacts…

15. MUHBA

The Museu d’Historia de Barcelona is responsible for some 16 heritage sites around Barcelona, but the museum itself is to be found on Plaça del Rei in the Gothic Quarter. I say ‘on’ Plaça del Rei, but ‘under’ would be more accurate…. after watching an interesting video on the evolution of Barcelona, guests take the lift below ground to where the city’s Roman foundations lie. In total you wander 4,000 square meters of ruins that delineated the Roman fort town of Barcino, and later its growth during the Visigoth period. Along the way you’ll see salted fish tanks, wine ducts, the pillars of a necropolis, some well-preserved mosaics and plenty of household objects… like hair pins and ceramic oil lamps. An absolute must for Roman history buffs. I’d advise you as well, to be sure to save plenty of time and energy for the museum’s exhibition “Barcelona Flashback”, which tells the history of the city through one hundred iconic objects… from the pick that King Alfonso XIII used to open up Via Laietana to the sign for Madam Petit’s luxury brothel.

16. Nuria Pla House Museum

Located in a grand masia-style mansion on the edge of the city centre, the Nuria Pla House Museum is the home of an incredible collection of 16th to 19th century furniture. From the beautiful rustic-style cupboards where Spanish sausage might hang in aerated compartments, to the elaborate bedroom cabinets of the Catalan bourgeoise and even a few European pieces with royal histories, there’s plenty to marvel in and delight at. As fascinating as the furniture is the house’s unique history as a medical laboratory. It is here that pharmaceuticals were made from horse blood, originally to fight against tuberculosis, but then sold as a general health tonic to a global market. Currently open for guided tours every Thursday and Saturday. The tours are usually multilingual, but occasionally will be replaced by audioguides for English speakers. In any case, the engaging staff do their best to make sure everyone is welcome.

17. Frederic Mares Museum

For a touch of light-hearted culture without the fanfare, just sneak around the side of the Gothic Cathedral to find this charming assortment of sculptures and antique treasures. Frederic Mares was an incorrigible collector of anything that took his fancy, and has managed to fill three floors with three-dimensional artworks and memorabilia. Check out the top floor’s impressive collection of 19th century artisan objects, including keys, fans, playing cards, pipes, clocks and combs. If time is on your side, be sure to linger at the delightful courtyard cafe at the entrance.

18. Barcelona Egyptian Museum

What started as a temporary exhibition of a private collection in the Hotel Claris, has – thanks to its popularity – become a permanent museum, and a great asset to Barcelona. In total over 1,200 items from ancient Egypt are displayed over two floors, including well-preserved sarcophagi, masks, statues and ushabtis, as well as more household objects such as earthenware and vessels. Arguably the best finds are the striking jewellery exhibits, which include colourful glazed dough collars, ceremonial belts, and an extremely rare gold ring with hieroglyphs. Some objects date back to circa 1500 B.C..

Temporary Exhibitions for 2024

World of Banksy

Revel in the sardonic take of the modern world by the planet’s greatest street artist and enigma, Banksy. Rolling into 2024, this exhibition has been extended multiple times already due to popular demand…

RESERVE BANKSY TICKETS

Tutankhamun the Immersive Experience

Egyptologists get a second bite of the cherry in Barcelona, with this larger-than-life, audiovisual exhibition that takes you (virtually) into Tutankhamun’s millennia-old tomb. Your guide on this journey is Howard Carter, the real life Indiana Jones who discovered the tomb in 1922 and who takes you on a delve into the pharaoh’s mausoleum.

RESERVE IMMERSIVE TUTANKHAMUN TICKETS