Workshops, guided tours, live music and, of course, the city’s best exhibitions—on May 18th, La Nit dels Museus returns, with over 80 museums across the city opening their doors for free from 19:00 until 1:00 in the morning! From Montjuïc to the Museu Blau and everywhere in between, culture vultures can get their fill of all the best the city's museums have to offer. Here’s our pick of the top spots to get your culture fix on the night. (Just remember that due to limitations on capacity, advance reservations are required at many places!)
This year there are four new spaces that will open their doors for the first time for La Nit dels Museus: Museu Terra - Sala Barcelona, Centre Martorell d’Exposicions, Museu de l’Art Prohibit and la Muralla Romana.
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Biblioteca Pública Arús
Passeig de Sant Joan 26, 08010 BarcelonaLovers of culture, history and society will find a true haven of peace at the Biblioteca Pública Arús. Set up by the philanthropist, free-thinker and pro-Catalan liberal Rossend Arús, the library opened to the public in 1895 and has become a research center specializing in contemporary social movements (mainly labor organizations and freemasonry) and books published in the 19th and early 20th centuries. When it opened, the library’s collection consisted of some 24,000 volumes that encompassed all the fields of knowledge of the day, including philosophy, religion, social sciences, law, languages, biology, botany, medicine, art, music, literature, geography and history. This highly prized collection survives almost intact today and bears witness to the age when the library was founded. No prior registration required, attendance is limited, spaces filled in order of arrival.
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CaixaForum Barcelona
CaixaForum has organized a fun-filled program of activities to get in the spirit of La Nit dels Museus. In addition to free access to its exhibits Horizon and Limit, Venerated and Feared: Feminine Power in Art, From the Border and the immersive audiovisual experience Symphony, there will be a music and cinema workshop for kids and a cycle of "microconcerts" with a wide variety of musical styles ranging from jazz to classical music, swing and world music. No prior registration required.
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Castell de Montjuïc
Carretera de Montjuïc 66, 08038 BarcelonaSpend your night under the stars at this hilltop castle, dating as far back as 1073. Discover hidden corners of the castle on a tour through dungeons and old barracks. Enjoy live music throughout the night from Always Drinking Marching Band, and when you're ready for a break grab a snack at the gastronomical space in the courtyard. After checking out the castle’s visitor center and temporary exhibition, you can drink in the some of the best views of the city at night from the castle's terrace. No prior registration required, access to the castle will be free all day, from 10:00 am to 1:00 in the morning.
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Centre Martorell d’Exposicions
Passeig de Picasso 9, 08003 BarcelonaFeed your inner natural science buff at the recently opened Centre Martorell d’Exposicions. Reflect on human beings' relationship with nature at the Nature or Culture? exhibit and marvel at six naturalized scenes that recreate natural behaviors of Mediterranean and African animals at the WOW. Museum Animals exhibit. No prior registration required.
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Egyptian Museum
Carrer de València 284, 08007 BarcelonaImmerse yourself in the magic of the ancient Egyptians; pharaohs and gods, sarcophagi and mummies await your visit. The collection has areas dedicated to hieroglyphic writing, funerary beliefs and practices, jewelry, cosmetics, worship in temples and much more. Reservations must be made in advance via the museum website.
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Fundació Antoni Tàpies photo by M. Peinado (CC BY 2.0).
Fundació Antoni Tàpies
Carrer d’Aragó 255, 08007 BarcelonaVisitors to the Fundació Antoni Tàpies will be able to enjoy free entry to the exhibitions Chiharu Shiota. Everyone, a Universe and Tàpies: The Zen Imprint as well as free guided tours at 20:00, 22:00 and 23:00. No prior registration required, attendance is limited, spaces filled in order of arrival.
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Fundació Joan Miró
In celebration of La Nit dels Museus, the Miró foundation, home to the Catalan artist Joan Miró’s private collection, throws open its doors providing free access to its exhibits. For a preview, the foundation shares key insights into the collection in the Miró at Hand series of short online videos to inspire you and spark your creativity. Reservations must be made in advance via the museum website.
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La Model
Carrer d'Entença 155, 08029 BarcelonaDiscover one of Barcelona's most imposing buildings from the beginning of the 20th century and the details of its controversial history at La Nit dels Museu. In addition to the old prison, you will find the exhibition Si vis pacem, para memoriam, an interactive installation that reflects on the idea that war is necessary to achieve peace. No prior registration required, attendance is limited, spaces filled in order of arrival.
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MUHBA Bon Pastor
Carrer de Barnola 22, 08030 BarcelonaRecently opened to the public, the MUHBA Bon Pastor reflects the memory of the history of housing in Barcelona during the 20th century by preserving an island of cheap houses in this working class neighborhood, one of the four housing estates built in the city in 1929. Inside you will find two exhibitions: Living in Cheap Houses. Bon Pastor, 1929-2010 and Accommodating the Majority. Barcelona, 1860-2010. No prior registration required.
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MUHBA Santa Caterina
Carrer d'En Giralt el Pellicer 25, 08003 BarcelonaLocated inside the current Mercat de Santa Caterina, the Espai Santa Caterina - Archaeological Interpretation Center summarizes some of the fundamental facts of Barcelona's history from the Bronze Age to the latest manifestations of contemporary architecture. In the 13th century, the Dominican convent of Santa Caterina was built there, the first seat of the city's Consell de Cent. No prior registration required.
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Mirador Torre Glòries
Avinguda Diagonal 211, 08018 BarcelonaLocated at Torre Glòries, an iconic building of the city's urban skyline, the Mirador Torre Glòries is on the 30th floor; at a height of 125 meters, you will enjoy a 360 degree perspective never seen before and the spectacular sculpture Cloud Cities Barcelona. On the −1 floor, the Hypermirador will let you discover in real time an unprecedented Barcelona with which you will feel the heartbeat of the city. No prior reservations are available, visitors will be admitted until full capacity is reached.
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Moco Museum Barcelona
Carrer de Montcada 25, 08003 BarcelonaIn the Moco Masters gallery you’ll find works by world-renowned artists, including Warhol, Basquiat, Dalí, Haring, Hirst, Kusama and many more. In the Moco Contemporary gallery, you can see original works by artists such as Murakami, Hayden Kays and David LaChapelle. Digital art is also represented with immersive exhibitions by teamlab, Les Fantômes and Studio Irma. A visit to the Moco Museum will show you things from a different perspective and make you question the world around you. Tickets must be reserved in advance on the museum website.
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Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC)
Take in the spectacular views of the city from the terrace and peruse the museum's exhibits The Lost Mirror. Jews and "Conversos" in the Middle Ages, Longaron and Friday Foster: The Unexpected Heroine and Suzanne Valadon, A Modern Epic. From 20:30 to midnight see Dances of the Belle Époque, a musical tribute to the era that frames the exhibition dedicated to Suzanne Valadon. The Original SoundTrack Orchestra will perform music from the period, characterized by the optimism and popular success of variety shows in France and throughout Europe. The Marching Band from the Taller de Músic will also be there filling the museum with music throughout the night. Advance registration via the museum website.
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Museu Picasso (Flickr).
Museu Picasso
In addition to enjoying free access to the collection and the temporary exhibition Bernard Plossu. Catalan Landscapes of Picasso, the museum's mediators will accompany you to discover everything you want to ask about Pablo Picasso or the Museum's collection. Advance registration is required on the museum website.
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Museu Terra Sala Barcelona
Carrer dels Almogàvers 214, 08018 BarcelonaThe Museu Terra in l'Espluga de Francolí recently opened a new, temporary exhibition hall in Barcelona with Peus a terra, an exhibit that provokes reflection and debate about the link we have with the earth today. In an effort to promote real transformation towards a more sustainable life, the exhibit encourages reconnecting with the earth as the soil that feeds us, as the cultural landscape of which we are part and as the planet we inhabit. Free entry is from 10:00 to 14:00 and free guided tours will be given at 19:30, 20:30, 21:30 and 22:30 with prior reservation via the museum website.
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Photo by Pepe Navarro (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)
In celebration of museum night MACBA will be free all day from 10:00 in the morning until 1:00 am featuring family activities, guided visits of the museum and the special activity El balcó (at 20:00), a collective work created together with the Casal dels Infants del Raval during which two gegants will talk with the audience in the square from the balcony. The open house includes access to the exhibits Daniel Steegmann Mangrané: A Leaf Shapes the Eye and Visual Origin. Film Video Information. And when you're ready for a break, head over to the MACBA Bar for a drink and a bite to eat (open until 22:30). No prior registration required.
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Museu de Ciències Naturals, photo by Aronu (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons.
Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona
Enjoy all of the museum's exhibits and activities free of charge all night long! Water, an Unfiltered Exhibition gives voice to the basic right to clean water. In an appealing and positive tone, it invites children and adults to enter, explore and discover the many facets of the availability and use of water on our planet. The exhibit Essential. Female Workers at the Museum of Natural Sciences highlights the contributions of women who worked at the museum from more than a century ago until the end of the Spanish Transition. Then head up to the explore the museum's Live Rooftop—the first wild green roof of the city. This space of 7,100 square meters covered in Mediterranean flora and fauna offers fantastic views of Barcelona's coast. No prior registration required.
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Museu de la Música de Barcelona
Carrer Lepant 150, 08013 BarcelonaThe Music Museum in l'Auditori conserves the rich musical heritage of the city; its instruments, artworks, archival documents and sound recordings are a window open to musical cultures around the world. The permanent exhibition shows more than half a thousand pieces of well-profile provenance, from large Baroque organs to guitars. Explore the museums' exhibits and enjoy concerts and family workshops throughout the evening, all for free! Advance registration is required via the museum website to participate in the activities.
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Museu de l’Art Prohibit
Carrer de la Diputació 250, 08007 BarcelonaDiscover the prohibited works of Pablo Picasso, Abel Azcona, Andy Warhol, Ines Doujak, Robert Mapplethorpe, Tania Bruguera, Banksy and many more at the world's first and only collection of censored and banned art. Continuing the theme, Duo Aidan (violin and piano) will perform mini concerts throughout the evening interpreting musical pieces that have at some point been banned or censored for political, religious or "moral" reasons. Reservations must be made in advance via the museum website.
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Main hall of Palau Güell with the chapel doors open. Photo by Pepe Navarro courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Palau Güell
Palau Güell is one of the first important assignments Antoni Gaudí received at the beginning of his career. Eusebi Guell, industrialist, politician and patron, wanted Gaudí to build this peculiar urban palace as an extension of the family home he had on the Rambla de Barcelona. It is a magnificent example of domestic architecture of the period. In addition to free entry, the evening will be rounded out with a classical music concert at 19:00 with the Firozza Trio, and at 20:00 the Liceu Trombone Quartet will be interpreting music from all genres. Tickets must be reserved in advance via the museum website.
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Image courtesy of the Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau
Rediscover the most representative corners of this classic modernista jewel; explore the underground tunnels, the Sant Salvador exhibition space, the Operations House, the gardens and the heritage rooms of the Administration Pavilion. But there's more! At 19:00 to 20:00 enjoy a concert by artists from the Orpheus Jove Camerata and from 20:00 to 22:00 artists from the Victoria de los Ángeles Foundation will perform in a lieder jam session. Advance registration is required on the Sant Pau website.
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