Museu Darder

About the museum

The Museu Darder opened its doors on 22 October 1916, when the naturalist Francesc Darder i Llimona gave his natural history collections to the municipality of Banyoles. From the outset it occupied the building on the Plaça dels Estudis, a late 19th-century construction that had previously housed the post office and a municipal school. The museum began on the ground floor and gradually expanded into the upper floors as it grew.

The collections grew thanks to donations from enthusiasts and came to number some 20,000 pieces, including exotic animals that made it a cultural attraction in its day. The exhibition changed little until 2003, when the museum closed for a complete renovation. It reopened in April 2007 with a new section devoted to the hydrogeology of Lake Banyoles and the karst system that feeds it.

The permanent exhibition is now organised in two spaces: the Espai Darder and the lake interpretation space (Espai d'interpretació de l'estany). The collections include the original 1916 collection and collections of butterflies, fossils, molluscs, birds, vertebrates, herbaria and minerals.

Highlights

• Espai Darder with the original 1916 collection
• Lake Banyoles interpretation space and its karst system
• Collections of birds, butterflies, fossils, molluscs and minerals
• Skull of the lioness Julieta and other unique pieces
• Historic building on the Plaça dels Estudis

Permanent exhibitions

• Espai Darder – Display of the original natural history collection of 1916 and of other collections of birds, butterflies, fossils, molluscs and minerals.
• Espai d'interpretació de l'estany – Space devoted to the hydrogeology of Lake Banyoles and the karst system that feeds it.

Founded

1916

Operated by

Ajuntament de Banyoles (Museus de Banyoles)

Admission & discounts

Free entry also for members of ICOM and the Associació de Museòlegs de Catalunya, holders of a teaching or tourist guide card, members of the Centre d'Estudis Comarcals de Banyoles, school groups accompanied by their teachers, and Apropa Cultura groups. €2 discount for those staying in Banyoles (“Allotjar-se a Banyoles té premi” promotion).

Accessibility

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

Ramps at the main entrance and rear entrance; a lift with capacity for 8 people serves all five floors. Audiovisuals and animations with subtitles in Spanish and English; permanent exhibition labels in Catalan, Spanish and English.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The Banyoles museums are a few metres from one another in the old town.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit