Museu d'Història de Catalunya

About the museum

The Museu d'Història de Catalunya opened in February 1996 with the aim of becoming a reference point for the dissemination of the history and collective heritage of the country. It depends on the Department of Culture of the Generalitat and is run by the Agència Catalana del Patrimoni Cultural.

Its home is the Palau de Mar, the only surviving building of Barcelona's old industrial port. The engineer Maurici Garrán designed it in 1881 to house the Magatzems Generals de Comerç, and today it stands in La Barceloneta, facing the port.

The permanent exhibition presents the history of Catalonia from the earliest times to the present day in an interactive and accessible format, with objects that can be handled, some reconstructions (such as a medieval hut or a tram) and devices with voices, music and ambient sounds. The route begins on the second floor, reached by an escalator from the entrance hall.

The museum also organises temporary exhibitions, guided visits, workshops and family activities, such as the programme “Pessics d'Història”, as well as accessible offerings such as the tactile visit “La Història a les teves mans”. The building also houses the Restaurant 1881.

Highlights

• Interactive permanent exhibition on the history of Catalonia
• Palau de Mar, former 1881 port warehouse
• Interactive objects that can be touched
• Tactile visits and family activities
• Restaurant 1881 in the building itself

Permanent exhibition

• Catalunya, un viatge en el temps – Permanent exhibition tracing the history of Catalonia from the earliest times to the present day, in an interactive and accessible format.

Founded

1996

Operated by

Agència Catalana del Patrimoni Cultural (Generalitat de Catalunya)

Visitors per year

approx. 191,978

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of each month, 10:00–14:30.

Free admission also applies to unemployed people, accredited teachers, accredited tourist guides, members of the Comunitat MHC, accredited foster families, accredited members of ICOM, ICOMOS and AMC, accredited journalists who have notified the museum in writing, members of FATEC and participants in the Mentora programme. 20% discount with a library card, the Bus Turístic, the BCN Card and the BCN Card Express.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

Most of the spaces are accessible, and wheelchairs are lent at the information desk in the entrance hall. Some areas have obstacles, such as a step at the medieval writing desk and in the 19th-century square, stairs in the medieval tower and the tram, and uneven flooring in the medieval hut. A ramp and a lift connect the floors (the buttons have Braille but no audible floor announcement). Accessible toilets on floors 0 and 4, and a changing table on floor 0. Induction loops at the counters and on floors 2 and 3. The interactive objects on the route can be touched, and the visit “La Història a les teves mans” is available for people with visual impairments. Visits with a sign-language interpreter are held periodically; there are sign-language guides (LSC and LSE) for mobile phones and easy-read texts in part of the exhibition. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome. The lighting is dim to protect the pieces, and mornings are busier than afternoons.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

Children's and family activities such as “Pessics d'Història” (some with a sign-language interpreter) and interactive objects that can be touched. Children under 16 enter free.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant

Restaurant 1881, serving traditional Mediterranean cuisine. Museum merchandise (“Marxandatge MHC”).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The museum rents out its spaces (information on the website).

Plan your visit