Free (or Nearly Free) Museums in Barcelona
Time slots and days of the month when Barcelona's main museums open for free or at a discount.
Photo: Hitesh Choudhary on Unsplash
First Sunday of the month: free at most
Almost every municipal museum and many of Barcelona's major art centres have some free time slot each week or month. The catch: it usually coincides with the busiest hours, so it's worth going with some time to spare.
The ones we've already confirmed in this guide
- MNAC: free on Saturdays from 15:00 and the first Sunday of every month.
- Museu Picasso: free on Thursdays from 18:00 to 19:30 and the first Sunday of every month.
The general pattern at municipal museums
Most museums run by the City Council (Museu d'Història de Barcelona - MUHBA, Museu del Disseny, Born Centre Cultural, Jardí Botànic, among others) follow a similar pattern: free on the first Sunday of every month and, in several cases, also on Sunday afternoons from 15:00. The exact conditions change from time to time, so it's worth checking each museum's website before going.
Discounts for students and under-25s
Most paid museums and monuments — including Gaudí's — offer a discount with an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) or simply by proving you're under 25 or 26, depending on the venue. It's worth carrying your ID or passport and asking at the box office, even if the website doesn't advertise it clearly.
The real trick
If your trip coincides with a first Sunday of the month, rearrange your itinerary to fit in the museums you're most interested in that day: you can easily save €30-40 per person across two or three museums.
Frequently asked questions
Which day are museums free in Barcelona?
Most municipal museums are free on the first Sunday of every month, and several are also free on Sunday afternoons from 15:00. The MNAC is free on Saturdays from 15:00 and the Museu Picasso on Thursdays from 18:00 to 19:30, plus the first Sunday of the month.
Is there a student discount at museums in Barcelona?
Yes, most paid museums and monuments — including Gaudí's — offer a discount with an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) or by proving you're under 25-26, though it isn't always advertised clearly.