Museu de la Música

The Museum is the Barcelona City Council institution dedicated to experimenting and reflecting on music. It is a window that opens onto music cultures from around the world, which allows the visitor not only to see the instruments, but also to listen to, and reflect on, the music.

Since 2017, the Museum has been housed in the Auditori de Barcelona, but the origins of this institution go back much further. The interest of Catalan culture in antique musical instruments was already evident in various exhibitions in the 19th century, including the Universal Exhibition of Barcelona in 1888. It was at this great event that the idea of exhibiting a specific collection of musical instruments was born, although the project was shelved until the 1960s, when the Museum of Music was inaugurated at the Barcelona Conservatory.

The current exhibition has been built with donations, and contains over a hundred instruments form all over the world, displayed in a space that allows 360º viewing of the pieces and an immersion in sound. A visit to the permanent exhibition starts with the common elements of music, such as such as melody, rhythm and timbre. It continues with various exhibition spaces, and ends in an interactive room. It also hosts temporary exhibitions, concerts and educational activities, and there is also a research facility with over 50,000 documents available for consultation.

How to get to the Museu de la Música?

The Museu de la Música is located in the Auditori de Barcelona complex, in the Plaça de les Arts, next to the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya. Once you get off at the Glòries stop on the Barcelona Bus Turístic Red Route, all you have to do is go up C/ Zamora and cross Av Meridiana heading towards C/ Padilla - you will find it on your left.

For the most curious of you

• Did you know? The Museum’s collection of classical guitars is one of the most important in the world, and includes outstanding examples such as those of Antonio de Torres, considered the best guitar maker in history.
• Local’s tip: It is an ideal Museum to visit as a family. At the end of the tour, there is a room where you can have a go at playing various musical instruments yourself, a particularly attractive activity for children.
• Essential for: Musicians, luthiers, lovers of antique musical instruments, music and culture.