Discover the free museums in Barcelona! This is one of the best cities in the world for art lovers. If you are thinking about organizing a vacation to Catalan capital or you have been living here for a while, you will have noticed that the streets of this city breathe culture, history and what interests us most, ART. But, do you want to know how to find free museums in Barcelona?
At Lugaris, we have modern holiday apartments so you can stay near the main landmarks of the city and, on this occasion, we want to tell you everything about the free museums in Barcelona that you can visit on your getaway.
Free museums in Barcelona (Any day of the year)
The city of Barcelona is known for having a wide tourist offer for all visitors who decide to choose this city for their holidays. Among your most outstanding visits, for sure there are some beaches, buildings like the Sagrada Familia, you will also tour the Gothic Quarter, but what about art?
Don’t worry because in Barcelona you can find a wide variety of world-renowned museums and surely you don’t want to miss them. But be careful, being a culture lover is not incompatible with enjoying a low cost trip. So we leave you with a selection of the best free museums in Barcelona, which you can visit any day of the year.
Arts Santa Mònica
The Arts Santa Mònica is an arts center dedicated to promoting contemporary creation, using all the disciplines that exist, and those that don’t exist too! Its aim is to serve as a platform for the dissemination of contemporary creativity in Catalonia and to function as a space for reflection in which debate and new ideas are promoted.
The center is based on the premise that art is a good that should be accessible to everyone and, therefore, they open their doors every day completely without charge. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 20:30 hours.
MUHBA Oliva Artés
MUHBA Oliva Artés is another completely free museum in the Catalan city. It is a former factory workshop that was built in 1920 and was dedicated to the production and repair of machinery. However, now its walls house the laboratory of the Museum of History of Barcelona. Here you can find a permanent exhibition that explains the history of Barcelona from the 18th century to the present day.
In addition, its temporary exhibitions offer a broader view that compares the history of Barcelona with that of other important international cities. You can visit this museum free of charge from Friday to Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm.
La Virreina Image Center
La Virreina Centre de la Imatge is a museum located in the city center, more specifically in the palace of La Virreina, Baroque style (La Rambla 99). Contemplating the building is already in itself one of the best free things to do in Barcelona, but you can also access its exhibitions for free!
This art center is dedicated to the audiovisual sector, contemporary art, photography and documentation, among other disciplines. Inside you will find a permanent exhibition and some temporary rooms that are worth a look. Its opening hours are from Tuesday to Sunday and holidays, from 11 am to 8 pm.
El Born Center of Culture and Memory
The Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria is another of Barcelona’s exhibition centers that you can access throughout the year without paying anything. Here you will find several points of interest, including the archaeological site that was found in the city when the old market building was being renovated.
You can also enjoy an exhibition on Barcelona in the 17th century and participate in some of the cultural activities available. The opening hours of this center are from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm. In addition, on Saturdays and Sundays they offer free guided tours!
Geological Museum of the Seminary of Barcelona
The Museu Geològic del Seminari de Barcelona is another free museum in the city. It houses a collection of almost 70,000 fossils, minerals, pieces of invertebrate palaeontology and a library of 13,000 volumes. If you are a science lover, this visit will not disappoint you, because it is also totally free!
Museum hours are Monday through Thursday from 5 to 7 pm and Friday from 7 to 9 pm. Please note that the museum is closed on weekends.
Historical Botanical Garden of Barcelona
If you plan to visit Montjuïc on your trip to Catalonia, you cannot leave without visiting the Historical Botanical Garden. This garden was designed in 1930 and, although it was closed to the public in 1968, since 2003 it welcomes visitors again. Here you can stroll among plants and trees from all over the world.
Inside, there is a collection of bonsais that will leave you open-mouthed. Admission to this garden museum is free every day of the year. Undoubtedly, this is a good plan to relax and rest after a long day of sightseeing in the Capital of Catalonia.
Which museums are free on Sundays in Barcelona?
Sunday is the best day of the week to visit museums and see temporary exhibitions. Why? Because there are many free museums in Barcelona on Sundays. These establishments open their doors for free only one day a week, so you can enjoy art without having to spend a single euro.
Of course, you should be aware that these places are usually quite full on the last day of the week. So, we recommend that you go early in the morning and be patient to wait in line until it’s your turn, we assure you that the wait will be worth it!
National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC)
The National Art Museum of Catalonia is one of the essential places to visit in Barcelona and the first Sunday of every month is free! This museum is located in the National Palace of Montjuïc and is considered one of the best museums in all of Barcelona, as it contains pieces from all the arts, such as painting, sculpture, photography, advertising, etc.
It opened its doors in 1934, offering only medieval and Romanesque art, but its collection was expanded until today, which contains numerous works of modern art. Get to know Catalan art at its best!
Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum is a space dedicated to the dissemination of the maritime culture of Barcelona. It is dedicated to disseminate, preserve and protect the maritime heritage of the city that has always been so deeply rooted in its people. There you can find the history of a Barcelona connected to the sea since its beginnings.
But you can also see ships of all kinds, from small sailboats to an imposing life-size galley. The doors of the Maritime Museum open free of charge every Sunday from 3 pm.
Museum of Music
The Barcelona Music Museum is free not only on Sundays, but also opens its doors for free every Thursday from 3 p.m. In addition, with a ticket to any concert at L’Auditori you can access for free any day of the week at any time!
Inside you can find a collection of more than 2,400 instruments, sound recordings, art objects and original manuscript scores.
Natural Science Museum of Barcelona
The Museum of Natural Sciences de Barcelona is another of the free museums in the city. It is located in the Parc del Fòrum, in the building built to host the Forum of Cultures in 2004. Its exhibitions invite you to travel through the history of life and its evolution on our planet. It is a very dynamic museum where you will find audiovisual and interactive resources that will allow you to participate in this cultural experience.
The Natural Science Museum is free everySunday from 3 pm and the first Sunday of every month all day long.
Montjuïc Castle
The Montjuïc Castle is located on the magic mountain and was formerly a military facility. Now, however, it is a museum space where you can visit the battlements, stroll through the moat and visit some of its temporary exhibitions related to the mountain and its different uses throughout history.
This museum space opens its doors for free every Sunday from 3 p.m. and the first Sunday of every month all day long, and children under 8 years old can always enter for free!
Barcelona Design Museum
At the Museu del Disseny de Barcelona you will find a collection of 70,000 objects that explain the evolution of the decorative arts in design. Among its rooms you will pass through exhibitions on product design, applied arts, graphic design and fashion and clothing.
The space is not too big and has a small capacity, so if you want to see it for free, you will have to queue up a little before the doors open. You can visit this museum for free every Sunday from 3 pm and the first Sunday of the month all day long.
Now you know the best free museums in Barcelona that you can visit on your vacations. If you are still looking for your ideal accommodation, do not hesitate to take a look at our Lugaris website, where you will find modern holiday apartments in Barcelona, located very close to the beach.
