Free museums in Barcelona: which days and times are free

Most of Barcelona's museums have a free slot every week, and the city's own museums open free every Sunday afternoon and all day on the first Sunday of the month. The catch is that each museum sets its own times, and some of the biggest require you to book online even when entry is free.

The city rule: Sunday afternoons and the first Sunday

Museums run by Barcelona City Council are free every Sunday from 15:00, and all day (within normal Sunday opening hours) on the first Sunday of the month. That covers the Museu d'Història de Barcelona (MUHBA, every site except Park Güell), the Museu de la Música, the Museu del Disseny, the Museu Frederic Marès, the Museu Blau (natural sciences), the Museu Etnològic i de Cultures del Món, the Castell de Montjuïc and the Monestir de Pedralbes.

Two exceptions: the Museu Marítim is free on Sundays from 15:00 only, with no free first Sunday, and the CCCB is free on Sundays from 15:00 to 20:00 with online booking.

Museum by museum

• Museu Picasso: besides the first Sunday, entry is free on Thursdays from 16:00 to 19:00 from late September to late March; in spring and summer the free slot moves to Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 19:00 to 21:00. Under-18s always go free.
• MACBA: free from 18:00 every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and all day on the first Sunday; under-16s always go free. It is closed on Tuesdays.
• MNAC: free every Saturday from 15:00 and on the first Sunday, with an online booking; under-16s and EU residents over 65 always go free.
• Fundació Joan Miró: no free day, but under-12s and unemployed visitors with proof get in free, and the Espai 13 gallery is always free.

Who always goes free

• Children and teenagers: under 16 at most museums; under 17 at the Museu Marítim, under 18 at the Museu Picasso, under 12 at the Fundació Miró.
• Unemployed visitors with proof: free at the MNAC, CCCB, Fundació Miró, Museu d'Història de Catalunya and Museu Marítim; reduced at most city museums and at the Picasso and MACBA.

Open days

Several museums also open free on 12 February (Santa Eulàlia), on International Museum Day around 18 May, on the Night of Museums in May and on 24 September (La Mercè). Each museum decides whether it takes part, so check its own page for that year.

Getting the most out of it

• Plan around the first Sunday: that is the one day when the MNAC, the Picasso, the MACBA and the city museums are all free.
• Arrive early in the free slot: Sunday afternoons and first Sundays are the busiest times of the week.
• Carry ID if you are relying on an age or unemployment exemption.

Keep reading

• Sagrada Família, Park Güell and Casa Batlló tickets
• Which Barcelona transport pass to buy
• Barcelona airport to the city centre