Figueres Dalí Museum
Figueres Dalí Museum is located approximately 140km from Barcelona and is home to the fantastically surreal Dali museum. Salvador Dalí was a renowned surrealist painter born in Figueres in 1904. The museum was built from the ruins of a former theatre and converted into what you see today – a bizarre yet amazing mix of the weird and wonderful creations from the mind of Dalí. The Dali Museum is the second most visited museum in Spain, after the Prado. Whether you are passionate about art or whether you just have a passing interest in Dali, this is an essential day trip from Barcelona.
Find your accommodation now!
Sights of the museum
The Dali Museum is rather engaging. Moreover with it’s unique persona and style attached to the building and art; it sets it apart from every other museum. Dali design this method in the last few years of his life, down to the last detail. Before you even set foot inside the museum, the building itself sets the scene to explore Dalí’s surreal pieces on show.
The exterior
The exterior walls are covered in Catalan bread decorations made of plaster and on top of the museum it is beautifully decorated with golden mannequins and giant eggs. Even those who are not usually inspired by art museums cannot help but enjoy the works on show here. It is an extremely fun museum to explore for all the family and for all ages.
Upon entrance of the museum if you go to the patio, you can view the Cadillac, and on top of the hood of the car is a mesmerising and rather creative sculpture of a woman. You can view the exterior wall that contains many more gold mannequins.
The interior
Once you enter the actual building, there is a large painting done by Dali. It looks like it has several figures of Venus de Milo, but if you squint your eyes, the painting morphs into the face of Abraham Lincoln.
Una publicación compartida de Museu Dalí (@museudali)
There are approximately 5 stories in the circular building, all filled with Dali’s artwork. Upon exit of the building it is almost as if the building was made to be difficult to leave, which is maybe exactly what the artist intended for. You can exit through the basement gift store, where you can also purchase souvenirs on the way out. There is also the Dali Jewels Museum you can visit which is just around the corner from the museum.
Practical information
Prices
Tickets cost around €12, and children under 9 can go for free.
Opening hours
Generally the Figueres Dali museum is open from 09:30 to 18:00 (except from Mondays when it is closed); with longer opening hours during the summer months. The best option would be to check the museum’s official website for up-to-date opening times as they change throughout the year.
Night Opening
During the month of August you have the unique opportunity to visit the museum from 10pm at night to 1am in the morning.
Top Tips
The queues at the Dali Museum can be quite long during high season so, it is advisable to take an early train from Barcelona to avoid long waiting times.
How to get there
Address: Plaza Gala-Salvador Dalí, 5, 17600 Figueras, Girona
By train:
- The train is a cheap and easy option which takes approximately 2 hours from Barcelona (Passeig de Gracia station). Once you get to Figueres stop it is then just a 15 minute walk to the Dalí museum.
- A more recent option is the new high-speed AVE train from Barcelona to Figueres; the journey now takes just under an hour!
If you are travelling by car it takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Parking is available behind the museum; and there is also free parking available near Parc Bosc. From here it is about a 10 minute walk to the museum.
Due to the journey from Barcelona to Figueres it is a good idea to try to combine a trip to the Dali museum with the picturesque city of Girona which is halfway between Figueres and Barcelona.
Regarding accommodation, most visitors rent apartments in Barcelona and then travel by train to Figueres as this would be the best and easiest option. Wherever your stay in Barcelona, Figueres is not far for your day trip!