Museu del Joguet de Catalunya

About the museum

The Museu del Joguet de Catalunya grew out of the private collection of Josep Maria Joan Rosa and Pilar Casademont Sadurní, who gathered toys for more than twenty years. At first the pieces filled their house in Figueres; the writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán described it as an “antimuseum” after visiting it in 1972. That same year the first public exhibition of the main pieces was held at the Palau Güell in Barcelona, followed by some twenty further shows during the 1970s and 1980s.

The museum opened on 18 June 1982 in the former Hotel París, on the Rambla de Figueres. The building originates in the mansion that the Albert i Terradas family had built in 1767; at the beginning of the 20th century it became a hotel, and in 1932 a new floor was added. The hotel closed in the late 1970s.

In 1997 the Fundació Museu del Joguet de Catalunya was created, to which the founders donated the collection free of charge. After a complete rehabilitation of the building, the museum reopened in its present form on 12 December 1998. Over time collections such as those of Guy Selz and Alan Glass have been added, and the poet Joan Brossa was its patron. More than 900 people have made donations since 1982.

Today the museum is regarded as an international reference on games and toys, and has received distinctions such as the National Prize for Popular Culture (1999) and the Creu de Sant Jordi (2007).

Highlights

• Toys and games from various eras gathered over three floors
• “Jugar a l'antiguitat” section with games from Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean
• Large analogue model railway built by Andreu Costa
• Collections of Guy Selz, Alan Glass and Joan Brossa
• Games room and drawing space for the youngest visitors

Permanent exhibitions

• Jugar a l'antiguitat – First-floor section on the games of early civilisations: the Royal Game of Ur, knucklebones, spinning tops, marbles, dolls and balls, as well as adult games such as the alquerques carved in stone.
• Maqueta ferroviaria de Andreu Costa – Large analogue model in H0 scale with a double track and overhead lines, built over eighteen years by Andreu Costa and donated to the museum in 2014. It reproduces the Núria rack railway, the Vallvidrera funicular and the Montserrat cable car.

Founded

1982

Operated by

Fundació Museu del Joguet de Catalunya

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for holders of the Club Super3 card (up to 4 “supers” per paying adult), of Cavall Fort and of the Club Piolet d'Andorra, professional guides on duty, and members of the Associació de Museòlegs de Catalunya and ICOM. Accreditation and an identity document or driving licence are required. Temporary exhibitions are free unless otherwise indicated.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• 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

Building without architectural barriers, with a street-level entrance and a lift to all floors (braille buttons). Adapted toilet on the second floor. Two wheelchairs available on loan on request, display cases at a height suitable for wheelchair users, and seats on each floor. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are admitted in all spaces.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children may play with the games in the permanent exhibition rooms and in the Sala de Jocs; on the ground floor there is a space for drawing and painting. Downloadable resources are available for visiting with children. Pushchairs may enter with the permission of the entrance staff and, when it is busy, are left in the designated area. The changing table is requested at reception. Children's birthday parties can be held (recepcio@mjc.cat). Pencils may be used for drawing; markers and wax crayons are not allowed.

Getting there & parking

The museum's page refers to the timetables of the Moventis, Sagalés, Ampurdan Bus, Teisa and Eurolines buses, and of the Renfe and SNCF trains; it also lists taxi companies in Figueres. The museum is on the Rambla de Figueres, at Carrer Sant Pere, 1.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi for visitors. Shop on the first floor, with open access without a ticket. Free cloakroom on the ground floor. The museum has no restaurant.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Up to 90 guests.

The Sala Brossa-Frègoli (60 people), the Espai Terrat (90 people, with views over the Rambla) and the Sala Oberta (70 people) are available for hire. Rates by the hour, inside and outside opening hours, and closed-door event programmes.

Plan your visit