Picasso Museum (Museu Picasso)

A visit to the Picasso Museum is key to understanding the true artistic genius of Barcelona’s famous native son. Visitors who want more insight into the art can pay a small fee for an audio guide or join a very limited selection of small-group guided tours that are included in admission (reservations required). If you want to explore with a tour guide on your own, book a separate museum tour that includes admission. Options include a private tour, skip-the-line tickets, or a combo tour; the latter combines a guided museum tour with a Gothic Quarter walking tour that stops at sites important to Picasso's Barcelona, including the famous Els Quatre Gats café.

• The Picasso Museum is a must-visit for art lovers and all first-time Barcelona visitors.

• Skip the queues by booking tickets online in advance.

• Expect long lines on days when the museum offers free admission; plan to arrive early.

• Photography and filming aren’t allowed within the museum collection.

• The museum is totally wheelchair accessible; wheelchairs are available to borrow.

The Picasso Museum is centrally located in El Born, Barcelona’s medieval quarter, within walking distance of many attractions in the Old City. It’s also well-connected by public transportation; take the metro to Jaume I (Line 4) or Arc de Triomf (Line 1) or catch one of several buses to Passeig Picasso or Pla de Palau.

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday throughout the year, with extended evening hours on Thursdays, when museum entrance is free. To avoid the crowds, visit on a weekday morning, and avoid summer and free-entrance days (Thursday afternoons and the first Sunday of each month).

The museum collection places a strong emphasis on Picasso’s formative years, including works from his time in Málaga and A Coruña. Keep an eye out forLa Primera Communión (The First Communion), painted when the artist was just 16.Woman with Bonnet comes from his Blue Period; Glass and Tobacco Packet is a fine example of a Cubist still-life.

No. Buying Picasso Museum tickets in advance is not compulsory, but it’s a good idea, as reserving a timed slot means less waiting in line. Booking ahead is essential for times when entry is free or for the first few days of a special exhibition and is advisable at weekends.

The Picasso Museum occupies five historic mansions, but two are used for special exhibitions. Most travelers find they can get a taste of Picasso’s blue, cubist, and early periods in a 1.5-hour walkthrough; art enthusiasts will want half a day; time-pressed sightseers can nip around in 45 minutes.

The Picasso Museum is least busy at 9am, when it opens, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays the quietest times of the week: like most Spanish museums, it shuts on Mondays. On the first Sunday of the month and between 5pm and 8pm every Thursday, admission is free, which means big crowds.

Yes, you can take pictures in the Picasso Museum—but only for personal use. You’re not allowed to use flash, tripods, or selfie sticks, and photographing or filming other visitors without their consent is forbidden. The museum also asks that you switch your phone to silent during your visit.

No. The Picasso Museum is a museum, not a place of worship, so there’s no written dress code, and you can wear whatever you would wear to walk around Barcelona. A T-shirt and shorts are fine, but bare chests are not; minidresses are AOK, but save the bikini for the beach.

The Picasso Museum’s permanent collection contains around 5,000 works, most from his early years, but only some are on display. His most famous pieces are elsewhere, but highlights include beautiful, life-like family portraits, lovely Barcelona paintings, and his first-ever sculpture. The museum also hosts regular special exhibitions.