Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres

What it is

The Dalí Theatre-Museum is the museum Salvador Dalí set up in his home town, Figueres, on the ruins of the old municipal theatre, from 1850. The theatre was abandoned in 1939 and a fire destroyed the interior; only the facade and the walls remained. Dalí announced his museum there in 1961, work began in 1970 and it opened on 28 September 1974. It is a work in itself: the artist conceived it entirely, and he has been buried beneath the dome since January 1989.

It is at plaça Gala i Salvador Dalí, 5, in the centre of Figueres, about 9 km from Peralada: 10 minutes by car.

What you see

The route is free and one-way. Among the things not to miss:

• The geodesic dome, by Emilio Pérez Piñero, rebuilt in 1998 identical to the original.
• The Mae West room, which Dalí designed with Óscar Tusquets in 1974: a living room that, seen from the exact spot, forms the face of the actress.
• The ceiling of the Palace of the Wind, one of the museum's great paintings.
• The crypt, beneath the dome, where Dalí's tomb is.
• Dalí·Joies, in rooms 23 and 24: 39 jewels of gold and precious stones from the Owen Cheatham collection, two later pieces and the artist's original drawings. It has been a permanent exhibition since 2001.

There are also works by other artists whom Dalí wanted to have close, such as Antoni Pitxot or Evarist Vallès. The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation estimates an average duration of an hour and a quarter; at an easy pace and with the jewels, allow an hour and a half or two hours.

Opening hours

It opens Tuesday to Sunday; in July and August, every day.

• 1 January to 22 March: 10:30 to 18:00.
• 23 March to 31 May: 9:30 to 18:00.
• June: 10:30 to 18:00.
• July and August: 9:00 to 20:00, every day.
• September: 9:30 to 18:00.
• 1 October to 31 December: 10:30 to 18:00.

Entry is until 45 minutes before closing and the rooms close 15 minutes before. It closes on 1 January and 25 December, and on 24 December it closes at 15:00. On some Monday holidays it opens exceptionally: check the calendar on the website.

Tickets and prices

• General: from €18.50.
• Reduced: from €15, for students over 18, young people aged 9 to 17, Carnet Jove, over-65s, people with a 33% disability and their companion, and large and single-parent families, with accreditation.
• Free: ages 0 to 8 and people with a 50% disability with one companion.
• Guided visit: €26.50, or €23 reduced.

Buy your ticket online on the foundation's website and show the booking code at the ticket office or the entrance. Tickets are not exchanged or refunded. The Figueres ticket is not valid for the Portlligat House or Púbol castle: each museum has its own.

Getting there and parking

By car, take the AP-7 exit 3, Figueres Nord, or the N-II. The museum is in a restricted-traffic area: the foundation publishes a map of car parks on its website. By train, the Figueres station on the R11 is in the town; the high-speed one, Figueres-Vilafant, has a shuttle to the centre. The Figueres stations will also get you to Peralada.

Rules worth knowing

No rucksacks worn on the back, suitcases, items over 35 × 35 × 25 cm or baby buggies are allowed in. Nor are animals, except guide dogs. You may take photos without flash, but not with a tripod or selfie stick. People with reduced mobility have their own entrance in the square, next to Wolf Vostell's Television Obelisk; tell the museum beforehand (972 677 500). On the ground floor, under the stage, there are adapted toilets and a baby-changing area.

With children

Children up to 8 do not pay and usually have a good time: the museum is full of odd objects, visual tricks and rooms that do not look like a museum. Bring a baby carrier, because buggies are not allowed in.