Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona
The Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona now has new premises in a building in the Forum precinct, by the sea and the Besòs river, designed by the architects Herzog & De Meuron.
The museum features the permanent exhibition Planet Life, which traces the history of the evolution of life and the Earth, and a portrait of the diversity of nature. Using the latest display technologies, the museum showcases part of the zoology, geology and botany collections that the Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona has preserved throughout its 140-year history. The museum offers space for temporary exhibitions and educational and informative activities. It will also have the Science Nest (for children aged 0 to 6), a mediatheque and a shop.
The Terrat Viu is the first wild roof in Barcelona. It is a space of 7,100m2 with flora adapted to the Mediterranean climate and the proximity of the sea. From the Terrat Viu you can enjoy magnificent and unprecedented views of the coast of Barcelona and the Maresme coast.
The museum is housed inside the distinctive, triangular Forum building designed in 2004 by the Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, the winners of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2001. It is 25 metres high and 180 metres wide. The rough dark-blue façade is interspersed with strips of glass reminiscent of water cascading from the roof. The structure is suspended in the air by seventeen pillars, creating a covered space for public use at street level. The Forum is an iconic landmark of the new Barcelona.
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General details
Address: Plaça de Leonardo da Vinci, 4-5 (Edifici Fòrum) (08019). Barcelona
Phone: 932 566 002
Web site: www.museuciencies.bcn.cat
Opening time: October - March: Tuesday to Friday, from 10am to 5pm. Saturday, from 10am to 7pm. Sunday and public holidays, from 10am to 8pm. | April - September: Tuesday to Saturday, from 10am to 7pm. Sunday and public holiday, from 10am to 8pm. | Closed: January 1st, May 1st, June 24th and December 25th.
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Accessibility details
The accessibility project for the Museu Blau, which started in 2011, continues to extend and improve the services and resources it offers people with disabilities.
The museum staff have received special training in assisting disabled visitors.
The building is free of architectural barriers and offers guided tours adapted to the needs of visually and hearing-impaired visitors. For bookings, contact
museuciencies@bcn.cat
The building has accessible signage for visually impaired visitors, including a tactile plan.
There are information leaflets about the museum in large print and Braille. The main exhibition "Planeta Vida" (Life Planet) has a total of 17 interactive tables, with 50 tactile elements and panels in large print and braille.
There is an audioguide for visually impaired visitors about the museum as a whole and its centrepiece exhibition “Planet Life”.
The museum also runs free guided tours for visually impaired visitors (maximum eight people plus companions).
They are introductory tours of the museum that offer an educational overview of the “Planet Life” exhibition, focusing particularly on the section “The Earth Today”.
The Museu Blau has magnetic induction coils in the events room and an induction loop at the main information desk.
Guided tours of the museum are available in sign language.
These tours also include an introduction to the museum and a visit to the “Planet Life” exhibition.
Group size is limited to ten people.
The museum can be reached by accessible public transport (metro, tram and bus). Parking is available at the Forum Building and also at the Diagonal Mar shopping centre.
The building is totally accessible and there are adapted toilets. Wheelchair on loan available for visitors.
Last update: 18/08/2023
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Booking
Purchase on-line. BCN Shop: Virtual shop run by Turisme de Barcelona where you can purchase tourist products and services.
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