Things to do in Barcelona, Catalonia: The Best Specialty Museums

The Fundació Joan Miró was created by Miró himself, at first principally with works from his own private collection, with a desire to set up an internationally recognised centre in Barcelona for Miró scholarship and contemporary art research, and to disseminate the collection. The Fundació opened to the public on 10 June 1975 and has since become a dynamic centre in which Joan Miró's work coexists with cutting-edge contemporary art. With an interdisciplinary approach, the Fundació organises temporary exhibitions of 20th and 21st century artists as well as academic activities and projects in collaboration with other institutions and organisations. Through its exhibition and educational programmes, the Fundació Joan Miró explores lines of research linked to the work of Miró and to contemporary art. The Fundació is located in a building designed by Josep Lluís Sert, making it one of the few museums anywhere in the world in which the complicity between artist and architect underpins the dialogue between the works and the space that houses them. The Fundació offers an overview of the landscapes of Joan Miró's art and life, creating an enriching dialogue with other artists from the 20th and 21st centuries.

CosmoCaixa offers its visitors a whole host of activities and permanent and temporary exhibitions to give anyone who is interested a greater insight into the world of science. The museum’s most distinctive attractions include the new permanent exhibition “The Universe Gallery” where visitors can learn about the cosmos and its evolution from the big bang to the present day. An interactive experience beginning with the creation of the cosmos and going on to explore the evolution of the species and the innermost workings of the human brain. The "Flooded Forest” recreates the ecosystem of the Amazon inside a glass house covering an area of 1,000 m2, which is home to piranhas, crocodiles and other animal and plant species typical of the area, and the “Geological Wall” consists of seven vast sections of genuine rock that allow us to interpret the world’s geology.

An art museum containing hundreds of pieces from the medieval age to the 19th century.

The European Museum of Modern Art , MEAM, exhibits the finest Contemporary Figurative Art. It is owned by TheFoundation of Arts and Artists, and the purpose is to promote and diffuse Figurative Art of the 20th and 21st Centuries. The Foundation’s claim is to find a new contemporary language without denying tradition by progressing into the new Century. Moreover, the Foundation of Arts and Artists, organizes each year the Figurativas Painting and Sculpture Awards, and with the wesbiteFigurativas en Red opens a window with the artworks of the Contemporary Figurative artists. The MEAM is currentlly located at the Gomis Palace, in the middle of the streets of the Born in Barcelona, a neighborhood where culture is always present and reflects the charm of the old part of the city, an area that knew how to mix tradition and modernity, becoming a requiered visit for the tourits interested in the Monumental Barcelona. The MEAM is different from other Contemporary Art museums because it houses living artists who created Figurative Art. These artworks are hardly seen in other museums, collections or entities, to whom the word Contemporary is identified by experiment and abstraction.

The Royal Monastery of St Mary of Pedralbes, founded in 1326 by Queen Elisenda of Montcada, third wife of James II of Aragon, provides a unique cultural and historical record of the community of Poor Clare Nuns who lived there practically without a break from 1327 to 1982. Its artistic heritage has become a reference for the study of the customs, fashions and models of secular and religious life. The exhibitions "Petras Albas", "The Treasures of the Monastery," "Plants, Remedies and Apothecaries", "Murals in the Spotlight: the Paintings in St Michael's Chapel" as well as the restored Chapel itself, illustrate the museum complex.

Uncovering the Past, Present and Future of the Cannabis PlantThe Hemp Museum Gallery is located in the centre of Barcelona in the Palau Mornau, a stunning edifice built in the 15th century, which was remodeled by modernist architect Raspall in 1908. It offers a unique permanent exhibition, on the development of the cannabis plant as a versatile source for industrial, nutritional, medicinal, sacramental and recreational purposes. The collection consists of rare items that founder Ben Dronkers, over the past forty years, collected throughout the world. The museum focuses on modern citizens, who despite repressive government measures, are not deterred, to gain knowledge about this particular plant independently.