Wax museum

Barcelona's wax museum houses more than 150 figures, displayed in 28 different scenes. The museum occupies a historic neoclassical building from 1873 that originally served as a bank. The facade, which still bears a Catalan coat of arms and a balustrade, recalls the building's earlier role as home to various financial institutions. After the last bank closed in 1922, the company Crédito y Docks acquired the building. In 1973, Enrique Alarcón decided to turn it into a wax museum, feeling that the mystical charm of the place was ideal for the concept. Following a comprehensive renovation in 2020, the museum reopened under the name Nuevo Museo de Cera de Barcelona, offering a modern, interactive experience.

The museum's interior is designed to be "selfie-friendly," meaning you can have your photo taken with the figures on display. The exhibition uses modern audiovisual, lighting, and digital technology to create an immersive experience. In a special hall dominated by an iron-and-glass structure more than ten meters high, you can pose alongside contemporary music stars such as Rosalía and Taylor Swift, who are shown together with twentieth-century legends like the Beatles and Michael Jackson. Other areas are devoted to great figures of literature, science, and art, including Dalí, Picasso, and Marie Curie. One particular highlight is the original bank vault, where a scene with bank robbers has been recreated. There is also a tribute to Catalan traditions, where projections and sound let you immerse yourself in customs such as the Patum de Berga.

The museum is in the heart of the city, at Pasaje de la Banca 7, a narrow lane branching off the famous La Rambla. Despite the somewhat hidden location, the place is easy to find, since tickets are also sold at a kiosk right on the Rambla. The Columbus Monument is just a short distance away. Right next to the museum entrance is the Bosc de les Fades, a one-of-a-kind café decorated with trees, gnomes, and other fantastical creatures. It also has the Passatge del Temps, a stylish reading area that rounds off your visit with a special atmosphere.