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Figueres Dalí Theatre Museum Complete Tourist Guide

Salvador Dalí builds his museum from a converted theatre. Hours, tickets, history, and works. Getting to Figueres and other attractions nearby

Updated: Jul 12, 2024 by: Barcelona Travel Hacks Views: 2.9k

About Figueres Theatre Museum Dalí

Celebrated 20th century eccentric surrealist artist Salvador Dalí could be considered the most famous citizen from Figueres and it is in this town where we find the main Salvador Dalí museum. An absolute must see for seasoned art enthusiasts and a very bizarre and captivating series of rooms inside a unique building full of visual stimuli.

Dalí Theatre Museum Exterior

The Dalí Theatre-Museum Figueres visit begins outside where you will find the entrance not via the red façaded building but via the theatre building in Plaça Gala i Salvador Dalí. In this public square the first Dalí piece you will see is the ornate Memorial Monument to the Catalan Philosopher Francesc Pujols located in front of the theatre façade.

Plaça Gala i Salvador Dalí continues to the right of the theatre façade where there are three reproductions of the sculpture made by Antoni Merci in 1895 of the painter Meissonier (1815-1891), an artist praised by Dalí. These reproductions are placed on columns formed by six, seven and seventeen tractor wheel tires.

Dalí Theatre Museum Courtyard

Entering the Museum via what was the theatre ticket hall, you are transported into a realm of strange and mesmerising art, featuring some of Dalí's most iconic pieces. The first space you visit is what was the stalls area of the theatre and is now an open-air courtyard dominated by a Cadillac car art piece called Rainy Cadillac (Cadillac plujós) that forms the centre piece of several hanging sculptures. Don't forget to look inside the car windows and look up an all around.

Tip: If you insert a 1€ coin in the metre the Cadillac comes alive.

The courtyard is surrounded on either side by narrow white corridors with the right corridor (facing the stage) containing works by Evarist Vallès and leading into the Dalí Crypt, a space below the stage where he is buried. This area was remodelled in 1997 to exhibit a collection of gold jewels (Dalí d’Or) designed by the artist.

Dalí Theatre Museum Fishmonger's Hall

Leaving the crypt into the Fishmonger's Hall (Sala de Peixateries) which holds a collection of Dalí oils, including the famous Soft Self-Portrait with Fried Bacon (Autoretrat Tou amb Tall de Bacon Fregit) and Dalí Picasso portrait(Retrat de Picasso). The left ground floor corridor contains graphic art by Salvador Dalí

Dalí Theatre-Museum Stage

Proceeding up the stairs onto the stage we are treated to a giant mural painting that spans the full height of the stage. On the left of the stage is an interesting piece that up close is abstract cubist art with a central nude but when you step back and look at it from a distance you see the portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Dalí was inspired to create this painting after reading about optics in a science publication.

Tip: It is on the stage where we find an unmarked stone slab that marks where Dalí is buried. Take moment to look up from the Dalí tomb to see that the stage is topped by a glass dome, the pattern of the structure said to resemble an eye of a fly because Dali thought about the perspective that a fly has on the world through their eyes.

Dalí Theatre-Museum Treasure room

The Treasure room can be found from the stage and is a red walled space containing many Dalí masterpieces:

Visiting Figueres Theatre Museum Dalí

The Theatre Dalí museum is very popular and I recommend booking the ticket in advance. Note: the early time slots in the morning are always the busiest and I advise choosing a 13:00h to 16:00h time slot because this is when people generally eat lunch in Catalonia so the museum is less busy.

Note: At the moment I cannot post any photos of the interior of the Figueres Dali Theatre museum but I am seeking rights clearance from the Dalí Foundation to include these photos. All I can say is that the Dalí Museum is a must visit attraction when visiting Barcelona and I can confirm that the famous Dalí melting clock painting is inside this museum.

Figures Theatre Dalí Museum opening hours

Admission up to 45 minutes before closing time.

I would allow two hours to fully explore the Dalí Museum and ticket prices start from 19 Euros, however I recommend the audio guide for its explanations of the works on display, many of them I cannot even put into words!.

As well as the museum gift shop, upon exiting the museum there is a surrealist bookshop and gift store in Plaça Gala i Salvador Dalí that sells items based on the designs of Salvador Dalí.

What to take with you for Figueres Theatre Museum Dalí

For the Figueres day trip I pack a small 10L rucksack with a fleece jersey and if the weather forecast says rain, a waterproof poncho.

The Dalí Theatre Museum has a locker room but it is currently closed and access to restricted to bags under 35 x 35 x 25 cm. You will have to pass bags through a security airport style scanner. Umbrellas, pushchairs or other bulky objects will have to be left in the consignment office.

I recommend comfortable shoes because the Theatre-Museum is about a kilometre from the railway station.

The Dalí Theatre-Museum has partial access for wheelchairs. See the accessibility section of their website for the exact details of what can be seen.

Figueres Theatre Museum Dalí Tickets

Explore the Dalí Theatre and Museum in Figueres, guided by an in-app audio tour on your smartphone which includes an entry ticket. See the most extensive collection of Salvador Dalí’s major works gathered in one place. Walk through the courtyards and labyrinths of the museum adjacent to the old theatre with an expertly curated audio tour. Gain exclusive insights into the life and mind of Salvador Dalí, unravelling the symbolism and eccentricities behind his iconic works.

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Love Salvador Dalí? Are you passionate about his surreal paintings? Don’t think twice and visit the 3 museums on the famous painter in one day with Hotel pickup in and around Girona city starting at 9am.

  1. Gala Dalí Castle located in the small town of Púbol
  2. Dalí Theatre-Museum built in an old theater in the painter's hometown of Figueres
  3. Dalí House-Museum in Portlligat after lunch in Cadaqués
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    Includes:
  • Round trip transportation from Barcelona in air-conditioned bus
  • Guided walking tour of Girona
  • Fast-track entrance to the Dalí Theatre-Museum
  • Orientation tour at the Dali Museum
  • Free admission to the Dalí Theatre-Museum and Dalí Jewels exhibition in Figueres
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Getting to Figueres Theatre Museum Dalí

Address: Plaça Gala i Salvador Dalí 5, Figueres. 17600

Figueres can be reached via the REGIONAL train service which has a station in the centre of town. Figures is also served by the AVE high speed rail network which has a station on the outskirts of the town called Figures-Vilafant.

The Regional Trains start in Barcelona-sants, stopping at Barcelona-Passeig de Gracia, Girona and other station on the way to Girona. There are two types of Regional train the MD train which makes fewer stops and has more luxurious carriages with tables as well as being 20 minutes faster. The R11 Regional trains stop at every station on the way to Figueres.

The AVE trains take 50 minutes from barcelona-Sants to Figueres-Vilafant, a new station 20 minutes walk from the centre of town but near to Sant Ferran Fortress.

For a train map comparing all the routes from Barcelona or Girona to Figueres see the train map in the documents section.

If travelling to Figueres by car, there is Parking Saba El Garrigal directly behind Figueres Dali Museum in Carrer Canigo.

Documents for Figueres Theatre Museum Dalí

Click on any one of the 3 PDFs to view in full screen and download.

Wikiloc Trail for Figueres Theatre Museum Dalí

fig01 - Figueres Day trip

Visit Figueres Sant Ferran Fortress, Dali Theatre Museum, Sant Pere Church, and Figueres toy Museum.

Distance: 6.5 Km

Difficulty: Easy

Return Travel Fare: €32.00

Transport Network: Regional or AVE

Weather for Figueres

Where to stay overnight in the Figueres Dali Museum Theatre

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