Museums in Barcelona

Museu del Temple Expiatori de La Sagrada Familia

This museum is housed within one of Spain’s most famous tourist attractions – the Sagrada Familia, which was started in 1882 by architect Gaudi is still yet to be completed.

Once inside the infamous building, you can visit the Museu del Temple Expiatori de La Sagrada Familia, which details the history and development of the Sagrada Familia, and also gives fascinating insights into Gaudi himself.

The museum also shows the stonemason's at work, carving stones to be used on the building. A visit to the museum is unique as it shows photographs of the development of the Sagrada Familia from its very beginning right up until the present day. There is also a model of the Sagrada Familia depicting what it will look like once it's completed.

La Pedrera

This magnificent building is also known as Casa Milà, as it was built for Roger Segimon de Milà and it is located at 92, Passeig de Gràcia, in Barcelona. La Pedrera, meaning the quarry in Catalan, was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and built in the years 1905 to 1907.

La Pedrera is one of the most unusual museums in the world. The building appears to be made from liquid and the walls create the illusion that they are moving like waves. La Pedrera is another example of Gaudi's genius imagination and is the 2nd most visited of the museums in Barcelona after the Sagrada Familia.

La Padrera was originally built as an apartment building, but at the time potential tenants were reluctant to hire the rooms because the walls were such irregular shapes they were concerned that their furniture would not fit. Today La Pedrera is one of the most important museums in Barcelona and also houses renaissance drawings and a collection of modern art paintings.

The building is often considered to be more of a sculpture, rather than a museum – some criticize the lack of usefulness, while others comment on the fact it can be construed as a piece of art. The Barcelonese considered the building to be ugly at its time of building, which is why it was given the nickname ‘the quarry’, but today it is a landmark of the city.

The Museu Marítim

Since 1929, the Museu Marítim de Barcelona has built up a major group of collections that are illustrative of the Catalan seafaring culture and which make it easier to understand the factors that have given rise to and the nature of the country’s maritime history. In 1985, the ‘Master Plan for the Reform and Restoration of the Shipyards’ was suggested and initialized. With the expertise of the architects Esteve and Robert Terrades, the plans main objective was the comprehensive restoration of the monumental complex. Additionally, a major cultural centre in the royal shipyards was created especially to promote a full range of activities related to the sea and sailing. The museum exists within the walls of the Spanish royal dockyards, and has increased in size from 4000 square metres to a massive 10000 square metres in the last 50 years, and it has now become one of the most important institutions of its kind in Spain and also one of the world’s finest maritime museums.

The Archaeology Museum of Catalonia (MAC)

The MAC offers permanent exhibits of significant archaeological relics that illustrate the history and being of Catalonia and its surroundings during the prehistoric and ancient historic eras. The main area of the museum is located in what once was the Palace of Graphic Arts, which was built in Montjuïc, in Barcelona, for the 1929 World's Fair. The museums collections are organized in chronological and geographic order and visitors will experience a journey to the very roots of Catalonia’s origin, from the first inhabitants through until the Middle Ages.