Museu Nacional de la Ciència i de la Tècnica de Catalunya (mNACTEC)
Science and industry museum in a Modernist textile factory by Lluís Muncunill in Terrassa, with steam, energy, transport and the human body.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The mNACTEC occupies the Vapor Aymerich, Amat i Jover, a wool factory built in 1907–1908 by the industrialists Josep Aymerich, Pau Amat and Francesc Jover to a design by the Modernist architect Lluís Muncunill. It owes its name to the steam engine that powered the factory, whose original machinery is still in place. Textile production ceased in 1976, after years of difficulty compounded by the floods of 1962, and the Generalitat de Catalunya bought the site in 1983 to turn it into a museum.
The museum opened in the mid-1980s as the Museu de la Ciència i de la Tècnica de Catalunya and today is the national reference museum for industrial heritage. New buildings have been added to the original structure, such as the entrance hall with its photovoltaic façade.
From Terrassa it coordinates a regional system of thematic museums spread across Catalonia, among them the Museu del Ferrocarril in Vilanova i la Geltrú. Its long-term exhibitions cover the textile factory, energy, transport and Montesa motorcycles, chemistry, computing and the human body.
Highlights
- Vapor Aymerich, Amat i Jover: Modernist factory by Lluís Muncunill
- “La fàbrica tèxtil” exhibition with the original machinery
- Enèrgeia, with interactive experiments on energy
- VIVA Montesa and the transport section
- Theatrical guided visits and science activities for families
Permanent exhibitions
- La fàbrica tèxtil – Shows how an early 20th-century wool factory worked, with its original machinery.
- Enèrgeia – Exhibition on energy with interactive experiments.
- VIVA Montesa – Exhibition devoted to Montesa motorcycles and transport.
- Founded
- 1984
- Director
- Jaume Perarnau i Llorens
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5People aged 65 or over and pensioners, holders of the Carnet Jove and young people aged 16 to 24, international student card holders, large or single-parent families, non-tourist groups of 10 or more people with advance booking, families (2 adults and one or more children) and other groups |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 15 · Free admission for children under 16. |
| Seniors | €5From 65 years of age and for pensioners. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission with a disability certificate; the companion also enters free if the card so states. |
| Students & apprentices | €5With an international student card. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €5 per personNon-tourist groups of 10 or more people with advance booking. Booked school groups enter free. |
| Families | €5Families of 2 adults and one or more children. |
Free admission: The first Sunday of each month and on open-day events: Sant Jordi (23 April), International Museum Day (around 18 May), the Terrassa Modernist Fair (second weekend of May), the Terrassa Festa Major (first Monday of July), Catalonia's National Day (Diada Nacional, 11 September) and the European Heritage Days (October).
Free admission also for unemployed people, members of ICOM and ICOMOS, professional tourist guides, teachers in formal education, accredited press and foster families, among other groups, with accreditation. A combined ticket includes the FGC train journey.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description: no information
Reception at street level; ramps and lifts link the floors, and adapted toilets are located next to reception, in the entrance hall and on level -1. A wheelchair is lent free of charge at reception. The adapted car park is reached via route P1, because the Rambla d'Ègara is closed to traffic. The coal bunkers, the inside of the chimney, the boilers (accessible by stairs only), the viewpoint and the roof are not accessible; in the steam engine room the lift requires a key. Induction loops are available on request, with free sign-language interpretation of activities booked in advance, subtitled videos in Catalan, touchable objects on request and an easy-read guide. Guide dogs are admitted.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 15 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €5 · Families of 2 adults and one or more children. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
There are workshops and shows for the youngest (such as “Explora 0-6”), family science workshops, guided visits and educational games. Three pushchairs for young children are lent free of charge, subject to availability, and there is a baby-changing table in the accessible toilet on the ground floor.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Terrassa-Rambla (FGC S1)
FGC S1 (Barcelona-Plaça Catalunya – Terrassa), Terrassa-Rambla station; a combined museum and FGC train ticket is available. Rodalies R4 (Sant Vicenç de Calders – Manresa), Terrassa station. Exprés.cat e2 bus (Barcelona-La Sagrera – Terrassa), Institut Politècnic stop.
By car
Paid parking
The public Saba car park of the Ajuntament i Mercat, under the Raval de Montserrat, is recommended. Paid blue-zone parking on calle Galileu and calle Arquímedes. There are two electric vehicle charging points (the card is collected at reception) and spaces for people with reduced mobility.
- Accessible parking
The Rambla d'Ègara is closed to traffic; the car park is accessed via calle Fra Bonaventura Gran.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
- Lockers
- Wi-Fi
Restaurant La Terrassa del Museu and the café La Fàbrica 1909, in the factory's former offices. Lockers in the entrance hall (operated with 50-cent coins) and free wifi for all visitors.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Free audio guide to the exhibition “La fàbrica tèxtil”, downloadable to your phone with the Visitmuseum app. Guided and theatrical visits are scheduled, and there is an educational offer for schools, with grants for schools with the most complex needs. |
