The city's museums and cultural spaces join the La Mercè festivities

In addition to the activities scheduled to take place on the city’s streets and squares, La Mercè will see many of Barcelona’s museums and cultural spaces opening their doors to the public with the organisation of activities and events for all audiences.

On the day of La Mercè, or on the days just before or after this date, the city’s museums will help to transform the city into a festival space by enabling members of the public to access their exhibition spaces free of charge. In some cases, visitors will be able to enjoy free admission to the museum’s collections and in others, local residents will have the chance to visit some of the temporary exhibitions organised by these centres.

In addition, some of the venues joining in the La Mercè celebrations will be offering visitors a range of festive activities, such as guided tours, shows, musical performances or film screenings, depending on the space.

The list of venues that you can visit during La Mercè includes museums and exhibition centres, such as the Fundació Antoni Tàpies, the National Museum of Art of Catalonia, the Picasso Museum, Fabra i Coats: Contemporary Art Centre and the Barcelona Contemporary Art Museum, and also exhibition centres such as the Espais Volart and the Museu Can Framis (both part of the Fundació Vila Casas) and places such as the Palau Güell.

Venues for visiting with the family such as Poble Espanyol de Montjuïc and the Aquarium, and museums such as the Maritime Museum and the Joan Antoni Samaranch Olympic and sports Museum all form part of the La Mercè programme of activities, and also archives like the Historic Archive and the Photographic Archive of Barcelona, libraries such as the Biblioteca Arús, and religious sites of architectural interest such as the temple of La Sagrada Família.

You can also visit little-known cultural spaces, which include the Col·lecció de Carrosses Fúnebres de Cementiris de Barcelona and the Casa dels Entremesos and Espai Bombers, as well as little architectural gems such as the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion.