The best Museums in Barcelona

A list of some of Barcelona's most important museums

Barcelona, Spain

Text & photos: Kasper Christiansen

16. November, 2020 (revised version)

Barcelona has a wide range of quality museums. The Picasso Museum shows the evolution during the 1890's of the young Pablo Picasso who spent a very important 10 years in Barcelona. The Miró Museum has a complete collection of the production of Joan Miró, the biggest collection of works by the Catalan artist in the World. And FC Barcelona's museum is an excellent spot for sport buffs wanting to see videos and gadges related to the history of the club. For those with a sweet tooth, Barcelona even has a chocolate museum!

Below you will find a list with recommendation for some of Barcelona's best museums with opening hours and telephone numbers.

Sant Felip Neri - the square that shows some of the best preserved bullet holes from the Spanish Civil War

Museo d'Historia de la Ciutat

Interesting excavation of the historic centre below the Placa del Rei showing how the Romans lived in Barcino (Roman Barcelona) and how Christianity came to Barcelona.

Address:Plaça Sant Lu, 3-5
Web site: www.ajuntament.barcelona.cat/museuhistoria/ca
Opening hours: Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00, Sundays from 10:00 to 14:00

Roman statue from MHC - Museu de la Historia de la Ciutat

Museo Picasso

One of the best museums in Barcelona, The Picasso Museum in Barcelona gives you the possibility of understanding the fast evolution of the talented Spanish painter. Picasso was born in Málaga in 1881 in Southern Spain, but (after living in northern Spain for a short period as well) moved to Barcelona with his family in 1895. Barcelona was to have an important influence on the painter until he left for Paris in 1901 (he did'nt leave Barcelona until 1904 but from 1901 his mind was in the french Capital).

Address: C/ Montcada, 15.
Web site: www.museupicasso.bcn.cat/
Opening hours: Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00.

MACBA

The Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, and one of the very best museums in Barcelona. The building was designed by Richard Meier (the architect behind the Getty Center).

Address: C/ Plaça dels Àngels, 1. 08001 Barcelona.
Web site: www.macba.cat/
Opening hours: Sunday 10AM–3PM, Monday 11AM–7:30PM, Tuesday Closed, Wednesday - Friday 11AM–7:30PM, Saturday 10AM–8PM

The MACBA Museum - a modern art museum in the center of Barcelona

Fundación Miró

One of the city's very best museums. The museum has the world's largest collection of works by the Catalan artist: more than 300 paintings and 150 sculptures. The buildings designed by Miró's friend Josep Lluis Sert are ideal for the collection a has nice views over the city.

Address: Montjuïc. Plaza de Neptú
Web site: www.fmirobcn.org/en/
Opening hours: Open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 19:00

Museo Marítim de Barcelona (MMB)

Barcelonas is located by the sea and during centuries the Kingdom of Aragon had its seat in Barcelona and controlled big parts of the Mediterranean Sea with their fleet. No many sea powers in the Mediterraneancould compeet with the Aragaonese-Catalan fleet. Later, when Catalonia was part of Spain, the fleet lost some of it's importantance but still played an important role in several batlles.

Address: Av. de les Drassanes s/n
Web site: www.mmb.cat
Entrance: from 24 €

Casa Batlló

A fantastic museum located in the former private residence of the Batlló family in Barcelona. A range of visits and experiences, among them virtual reality experiences.

Address: C/ Passeig de Gracia, 43.
Web site: http://www.casabatllo.es/
Entrance: from 24 € Opening hours: Open every day from 9.00 to 20:00.

Casa Batlló - one of Antoni Gaudí's most spectacular houses, and now a museum

Sagrada Familia

One of the very best museums and certainly the most visited. The famous - and still unfinished - church of Sagrada Familia, designed by architect Antoni Gaudí.
Opening hours: Open every day from 9.00 to 20:00 (in the winter until 18:00).
Web site: www.sagradafamilia.org/en/home
Prices: There are several entrance options from around 11 € for students. The standard entrance is 18 €, but to get up to the towers is more expensive.

The Sagrada Familia Church

MNAC - The National Museum of Catalan Art

MNAC is without doubt one of the best museums in Barcelona. Its medieval collection is only surpassed by the Vatican's collection, and besides it has a stunning Thyssen-Bornemisza colection with works of Fra Angelico, Daddi, Cranach and others.
In the renaissance, baroque and modern collection you are able to see works of Valazquez, Picasso, Dalí and others.

Adress: Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10 am to 7 pm, Sunday and public holidays: 10 am to 2.30 pm, Monday: closed, except public holidays, Closed: January 1st, May 1st and December 25th. * Free entrance: First Sunday of each month.
Web site: www.mnac.es

The famous pantocrator of the MNAC Museum

La Pedrera (Casa Milà)

Another Gaudí-house turnede into a museum. La Pedrera, or Casa Milà as it is also called, is a uinque house designed by the famous Catalan architect, but the museum also serves as an introduction to all of Gaudí's house and methods, since la Pedrera has models and pictures of many of his most famous works.

Address: Provença, 261-265, 08008 Barcelona.
Web site: http://www.lapedrera.com/en
Opening hours: Open every day from 9.00 to 20:30
Entrance: from 22 €

Staircase in La Pedrera

More Gaudí houses ...

Over the last years, several other of Antoni Gaudís houses and designs has been opened to the public. Among them we recommend Casa Vicens, Palau Güell, Torres Bellesguard and Finca Güell. We highly recommend to visit as many of these houses that are now accessible. Each of these houses are very different and give a different experience of the many sides of the Catalan architect.