Museums of Barcelona - Sea Area.

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The most interesting museums: 

Gran Teatre del Liceu.  3  La Rambla, 65.  This mythical theatre, symbol of the 19th century Barcelona middle- class, was a place to see and be seen. The building, inaugurated on April, 1847, was modelled on the Italian teatres and could hole 4,000 people. On 9 April, 1861, a fire destroyed the auditorium and the stage. Restoration work was carried out in record time by Josep Oriol Mestres. However, the most important event took place on 7 November, 1893, when, during the second act of the opera Guillaume Tell (William Tell) by Rossini, two bombs were thrown into the pit, causing 20 deaths and numerous injuries. The bombing shocked Barcelona and for years the seats which had been occupied by those killed were left unsold. On 31 January 1994, destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt and opened its doors again in 1999.

Fundació Joan Miró.  18  Parc de Montjuïc, s/n.  The building which houses the Fundación Joan Miró was built by Josep Lluis Sert at the request of the artist himself, who envisioned it as a vibrant centre where the general public could learn about the various trends in contemporary art, as well as see his own work. Among the works which can be seen is the outstanding Miró permanent collection, with its 10,000 pieces: 217 paintings, 156 sculptures, nine textiles, four ceramics, almost all his graphic work, and some 7,000 drawings sketches and notes. Paintings and sculptures by other artist are also on show, among which is the magnificent Fuente de mercurio , designed by Alexander Calder. In addiction, the foundation, and regular concerts and seminars.

Museu Picasso.  19  Montcada, 15-19. This museum, enlarged in the year 2000 and located in five adjacent medieval palaces, opened its doors in 1963 with works donated by Jaume Sabartés, a friend of Piccaso. The collection is presented in different sections: paintings, drawings, engravings and ceramics. But the most important part of this collection is the work by Picasso as a youth, including the Primera comunión (First Communion, painted in 1896) and Ciencia and caridad (Ciencie and Charity, 1897). The most important display rooms is that containing his magnificent paintings of 1957, with his interpretation of Las Meninas, inspired by the celebrated work by Velázquez.

Palau de la Música Catalana.  4  Sant Francesc de Paula, 2. The Palau de la musica is a clear example of modernist architecture. The project is fruit of the imagination of Domènech I Montaner, who designed an auditorium which is illuminated by natural light, thanks to a splendid, beautifully decorated glazed dome. [ more info ]

CaixaForum.  52  Av del Marqués de Comillas, 6-8. CaixaForum, the Social and Cultural Center of the “La Caixa” Foundation, offers a wide range of programming geared towards all audiences. It hosts prehistoric, modern and contemporary art exhibits, concerts, film screenings, round tables, conferences, and many other activities. The facility, designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, is one of the jewels of Barcelona’s industrial Modernist architecture, and makes an indispensable addition to the landscape of the city.

Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB).  53  Montalegre, 5. The CCBC, located in the old Casa de la Caritat building, is one of the great cultural infrastructures of the 1990s with a specific purpose: all its activities are centred on Barcelona. This marvellous city is the hub of exhibitions, courses conferences, festivals, concerts, etc.

Pavelló Mies Van Der Rohe.  5  Av. del Marquès de Comillas, s/n. The Pavelló Mies van der Rohe, located in the Montjuïc Park, serves as both a classic emblem of the architect’s vision and a prominent landmark of 20th century architecture.
Its innovative architectural structure represented a drastic change in the disposition of space and heavily influenced the development of the city’s modern architecture.

Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA).  8  Plaça dels Àngels, 1. The building housing the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona was designed by the architect Richar Meier, who used typical elements of Mediterranean rationalist architecture, combing interior spaces and exterior light. The permanent collection, established whit works provided by the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Barcelona City Council and the Fundación Museu d’Art  Contemporani, is presently made up of 1630 pieces, dedicated mainly to Catalonian art and the different trends from outside which have influenced it. Miquel Barceló,jean Michel Basquiat, Miguel Angel Campano and Antoni Tàpies are some of the artist represented in the collection. Numerous exhibitions, conferences, and many other activities are organized here, involved in the dissemination of avant garde art.

Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC).  9  Mirador del Palau, 6. The Palau Nacional de Monjuïc headquarters of the MNAC has the best Know display of Romanesque frescoes in the whole of Europe, unique both for the quantity and for the quality of the works on show. Among which are the outstanding wall paintings from the churches of Sant Climent de Taül and Santa María de Taül, The section on Gothic painting deserves special attention. Here, the principal creators of the 14th and 15th century Catalonian school are represented. In the section dedicated to the Renaissance and Baroque periods are canvases by Berruguete, Ribalta, El Grecco and Velázquez. The collection is completed whit sculptures, gold and silver work, enamels, and carvings. In addictions, the visitor to the museum can enjoy the beautiful panoramic views of Barcelona.

Museu d’ Història de Catalunya.  41  Plaça Pau Vila, 3. This museum permanent exhibition displays the history of Catalonia prehistoric times up to the present day. Objects, documents, recreation of historical events, and audio-visual productions help the visitor understand the different stages of Catalonian history.

Museu d’ Història de la Ciutat de Barcelona.  42  Plaça del Rei, s/n. The Museu de la Ciutat is located in a beautiful Gothic building, which in 1931, was moved, brick, to its present location. During the excavation works on the new site important archaeological remains of the old Roman city were found, which can be visited in the palace underground rooms. In addiction, the upper rooms are given over to an exhibition describing and explaining the history of Barcelona up to the 15th century.

Museu Marítim.  49  Avinguda de les Drassanes, s/n. The Drassanes Reials, erected in the 14th century, consist f eight spacious bays, where the enormous galleys were built which cut through the seas. Today this Gothic building houses the Maritime Museum collections. Navigation instrument, maps, charts paintings and various models ships show the evolution of the Catalonian navy throughout its history.

Other interesting museums in the area: 

Museu Barbier-Mueller d’Art Precolombí.  10  Montcada, 14. Located in a beautiful medieval palace, this museum offers a magnificent collection of pre- Columbian art, with unique pieces from different American cultures in existence before the Discovery. Sculptures, ceramics, gold and silver work, and ritual objects inform the visitor about the beginnings of the civilisations of the Mayas, Aztecs, Olmecs, and other less-known but equally fascinating cultures.

Fundació Cuixart.  11  Placeta Montcada, 7. The cozy rooms of the Taller Cuixart BCN, the Cuixart Foundation’s headquarters in Barcelona, are located right around the corner from the Santa María del Mar Church. Take a historical stroll through the Born after stopping for a look at the rich creative trajectory of this renowned artist.

Museu de la Catedral.  12  Pla de la Seu, s/n. The Gothic Cathedral of Barcelona, built in 1298 during the reign of Jaime II, houses these small museums which preserves some real art treasures, among which can be found the La Pietat, by Bartolomé Bermejo. The chapter house, dating from the 17th century contains paintings, tapestries, liturgical objects, and Saint Eulalia´s missal, worked with beautiful embellished display initials.

Fundació Fran Daurel. Col.lecció d’ Art Contemporani.  13  Av. del Marquès de Comillas, 13. Principally centered around Catalan arts, the Fran Daurel private collection includes pieces by Dalí, Guinovart, Perejaume, Ràfols-Casamada, Cuixart, Tàpies, Barceló, Plensa, Millares, and Picasso.

Museu Diocesà de Barcelona (Pia Almoina).  14  Avinguda de la Catedral, 4. This museum contains an interesting collection of paintings, sculptures, gold and silver work and religious objects. The most important pieces in the museum are the Polinyà  mural from the 12th century the statue of the Virgen de Santa María de Toudell, a silver Romanesque cross of Reils del Fai, and the altarpiece of Sant Joan Baptista.

Museu Frederic Marès.  17  Plaça Sant Iu, 5-6.  This museum, inaugurated by the sculpture Frederic mares in 1948, is located in the Palau Reial Major and contains an impressive collection of Romanesque and gothic religious art. The exhibition is made up of two well-differentialated sections. A sculpture section composed of works displayed in chronological order, ranging from the pre-Roman era until the 19th century, and a section Knows as the Museum Sentimental (Sentimental Museum), which offers an unusual group of craft works including fans, parasols, clocks, automatons, toys, etc.

Museu Tèxtil i d’ Indumentària.  23  Montcada, 12. This museum, located in a beautiful 13th-century palace, houses a magnificent exhibition of artistic fabrics and clothes from the 4th century onwards.

Museu del Calçat.  24  Plaça de Sant Felip Neri, 5. Shoemakers tools, real examples of footwear from the century, and shoes of famous people, are just some of the things to be seen in this unusual museum.

Museu de Carrosses Fúnebres.  25  Sancho d’ Àvila, 2. On the ground floor of its central building, the Funeral Services of Barcelona houses one of the finest collections of funeral coaches in the world. The museum also exhibits some of the customs and rituals followed at funeral ceremonies in Barcelona during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Museu de Cera.  27  Passatge de la Banca, 7. This is a monumental building containing more than 300 wax figures of famous people, both real and fictional. The figures are displayed in recreations of their normal environments.

Garden – Institut Botànic de Barcelona.  28  Doctor Font i Quer, 1.  Located next to the Palau Nacional, it contains more than 2,000 species of plants. It is well-worth it to take a stroll though its trees and bushes, grouped in order of geographical location.

Museu de Geologia.  31  Parc de la Ciutadella, s/n. Located in one of Barcelona’s most important cultural areas, this museums contains an impressive collection of rocks, divided into three sections. The section devoted to minerals is complement by exhibitions on the properties and uses of minerals. Don’t miss the Palaeontology room with its collection of animal and vegetable fossils.

Museu de Zoologia.  32  Parc de la Ciutadella, s/n. Since 1924, the castell dels Tres Dragons has housed a remarkable collection of the different species making up the animal Kingdom. The ground floor, presided over by the skeleton of a whale, is dedicated to temporary exhibitions, while the first floor is taken up by the museum’s permanent exhibits of mammals, birds, beetles, butterflies and moths. 

Museu Olímpic i dels Esports.  36  Pg. Olímpic – Av. de l’ Estadi s/n. Barcelona captures and gives expression to the true Olympic spirit through the founding of a new museum: the Olympic and Sports Museum. The city of Barcelona is the first in Europe to create an Olympic and Sports Museum. This facility offers historical, recreational, ethical and educational perspectives on various sports and uses advanced technological aids to make its information available through interactive features and multimedia installations.

Museu d’ Arqueologia de Catalunya (MAC).  38  Passeig de Santa Madrona, 39-4. The Palau d’Arts Gràfiques houses Catalonia’s most important archaeological research centre, and among the objects on show are many which testify to the rich cultural inheritance of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, from the Palaeolithic to Visigoth eras.

Museu Etnològic.  40  Passeig de Santa Madrona, s/n (Parc de Montjuïc). The majority of the exhibition in this museum is temporary and show objects from cultures from cultures from all over the world. The section on North Africa houses interesting collections of Moroccan and Ethiopian exhibits. The section dedicated to Asia has a fascinating collection of Japanese art, which gives an insight to the life and customs of this ancestral nation. The religious sculptures from India and Nepal are also very interesting, as are the carpets and jewellery from Afghanistan.

Espai Santa Caterina.  46  Carretera de l’ Església, 104 Vil.la Joana, Vallvidrera. Vil.la Joana is the name of the 19th century farmhouse where poet Jacint Verdaguer spent his last days. This Museum is dedicated to the memory of one of the greatest authors of the Catalan Renaissance, and features a literary space infused with the poet’s literary and biographical backgrounds.

Refugi 307.  47  Nou de la Rambla, 169. The bomb shelter in the Poble Sec neighborhood of Barcelona is one of the most symbolic and culturally significant places in the city. Its symbolic power, historical relevance, and its ties to everyday life during the Spanish Civil War, make the Poble Sec shelter a remarkable testimony to the people’s self-defense and urban experience during the bombings. 

Museu Militar de Montjuïc.  48  Castell de Montjuïc - Crta. De Montjuïc, 66. Collections of antique weapons and uniforms from different periods and countries make up this museum’s collection, located in a majestic 18th century castle.

Museu de la Música.  50  Avinguda Diagonal, 373. The Palau Baró de Quadras houses a magnificent collection of musical instruments. A walk through its display rooms allows the visitor to enjoy examples of instruments from all over the world. Especially valuable are the clavichords, pianos, and harpsichords from the 17th century, and the organs from the collection of guitars, considered one of the best in the world.

Edifici Forum.  54  Pl de Llevant, Av. Diagonal on the corner of Rambla Prim. The Fòrum building is the ultimate symbol of the rebirth of the Levante neighborhood of Barcelona. Designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, the Fòrum building was inaugurated in 2004, during Barcelona’s Universal Forum of Culture.

Centre d’ Art Santa Mònica.  58  La Rambla, 7. The CASM hosts dozens of exhibits annually, mostly featuring the works of contemporary artists from Spain and abroad. The Centre is located in the 18th century convent of Santa Mónica, as remodeled by architects Helio Piñón and Vicenç Vilaplana. The CASM serves to promote the study, interpretation, production and display of contemporary arts, with a special focus on modern Catalan art and its positioning within an international context.

Palau de la Virreina.  59  La Rambla, 99. In the 18th century Manuel Amat, former Viceroy of Peru, charged the architect Josep Ribes with the construction of this sumptuous Baroque palace. The facade is enhanced by an elegant balustrade crowned with urns. Today, the palace is the headquarters of the Institut de Cultura de Barcelona (ICUB) and holds different temporary exhibitions in its spacious rooms.

La Capella.  61  Hospital, 56. La Capella is a 15th century construction in the Santa Creu Hospital complex. Today it is run by the Cultural Institute of Barcelona and dedicated to the work of young artists.

Espai Volart. Fundació Vila Casas.  62  Ausias Marc, 22. Located in a spectacular early 20th century modernist building, VolART hosts temporary exhibits featuring the work of artists in the Vila Casa Foundation collection. The VolART library houses Joan Brossa’s personal collection, as well as the Foundation’s bibliographical holdings.

Museu de l’ Eròtica.  64  La Rambla, 96 bis. The Erotica Museum was founded in the heart of Barcelona in hopes of bringing the city both didactic and fascinating information on a monographic theme utterly classic to human culture and history. It was the first museum of erotic art and culture to truly display the development of erotica through various artistic and cultural facets (anthropology, archeology, literature, sculpture, history, antiques). The Museum is home to more than 800 historical pieces, and incorporates artifacts from diverse cultures in their religious and ritualistic expressions of erotica, as well as contemporary works by internally-renowned artists.

Museu del Rei de la Màgia.  65  Oli, 6. This space was created in 2002 by Josep Mª Martínez and Rosa Mª Llop, the founders of the emblematic El Rey de la Magia, in order to preserve the cultural value of this 100 year-old shop. The museum organizes a wide range of fun and educational activities that embrace the endless possibilities that derive from using magic as a form of expression.

Museu de la Xocolata.  67  Comerç, 36 (on the corner of pl. Pons i Clerch). The Museum of Chocolate is an exciting space founded by the Bakers’ Guild of Barcelona. It presents the history of chocolate since its initial arrival in Europe, takes a close look at chocolate’s reputation as a product somewhere between myth and reality, and contemplates its medicinal, nutritional and aphrodisiacal qualities. The Museum of Chocolate is located in a historical building that enjoyed its own close relationship with chocolate: when this 14th century Sant Agustí Convent was occupied by the Borbonic army in 1750, it was used as a barracks. According to army regulations at that time, chocolate was a staple on militia menus, and was eaten in the barracks when the troops were in the garrisons.