Dalí Theatre-Museum, Figueres, Barcelona

About the Dalí Theatre-Museum

Salvador Dalí was born in Figueres, and it was in the town's old theatre that he first exhibited his paintings. Years later he decided to turn that theatre into his own museum, opening the Dalí Theatre-Museum in 1974 as a single work of art, 'the largest surrealist object in the world'.

Dalí planned everything himself, from the façade to the hanging of the pictures. There's no conventional route through the rooms: you pass from the stage to the boxes, from the courtyard to the corridors, and each room is a surprise. The collection spans paintings, sculpture, drawings, installations and holograms, and a building next door shows jewellery made to his designs.

What to see in the museum

A huge glass dome rises over the former stage, the museum's emblem, visible from afar. In the courtyard stands the Rainy Taxi, an old Cadillac in which real rain falls when you drop in a coin, topped by sculpture and a boat that belonged to the artist's wife, Gala.

The most famous room is the Mae West Room: seen through a special lens from a staircase, its furniture, curtains and pictures form the face of the Hollywood actress, with a sofa for her lips. Another highlight is the Palace of the Wind, whose ceiling shows Dalí and Gala floating in the sky.

What to see at the Dalí Theatre-Museum

• The façade — red walls studded with 'bread' and eggs on the roof.
• The glass dome — over the old theatre stage.
• The Rainy Taxi — a Cadillac with rain inside.
• The Mae West Room — a room that becomes a face, with a lips sofa.
• Palace of the Wind — a painted ceiling of Dalí and Gala.
• The jewellery collection — pieces made to Dalí's designs.

The façade and Figueres

You'll recognise the museum at once: terracotta-red walls studded with golden shapes like Catalan bread rolls, and giant eggs, the artist's favourite symbol, along the roofline. Figures in golden armour stand above the entrance, and the square in front has more Dalí-related sculpture.

Figueres is a small, friendly town in northern Catalonia, near the French border. After the museum, stroll its Rambla of cafés and plane trees and look into the market. From here you can also visit the fishing village of Cadaqués on the coast, where Dalí lived and worked for long periods.

Tips for your trip

Leave in the morning and book one of the first slots: coach tours arrive by midday, and a queue forms for the lens in the Mae West Room. There are lots of stairs and narrow passages inside, and large bags must be checked in.

It's easy to combine with Girona, on the way and 15 minutes by high-speed train, with its old quarter and churches. With a car, you can continue to Cadaqués and Dalí's house-museum at Portlligat, but book that ahead too, as it admits small groups only.

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How to do it right

• Book a timed ticket ahead.
• Early slots beat the crowds.
• The AVE takes about an hour.
• Girona is on the way.

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