CosmoCaixa Barcelona: Tickets, Hours and What to See With Kids
CosmoCaixa Barcelona opens daily from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and general admission is €8, free up to 16. See the exhibits, workshops and closing days.
CosmoCaixa Barcelona is a science museum in the upper part of the city, open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. General admission costs €8, and young people up to 16 years old get in free. Children can walk through a recreated Amazon rainforest, touch rock sections from across Catalonia and join hands-on science workshops.
The museum belongs to the “la Caixa” banking foundation, so it is a private center, and it covers nature, the environment, science and space in permanent and temporary exhibitions.
What is CosmoCaixa and where does the building come from?
The museum opened in 1981 as the Science Museum of Barcelona. It closed for renovation in 1998 and reopened in 2004 under its current name, according to Wikipedia’s entry on CosmoCaixa Barcelona. The original building went up between 1904 and 1909, designed by the architect Josep Domènech i Estapà as an asylum for the blind, which closed in 1979. The renovation kept the old facade and expanded the building to four times its first size.
Inside, a long spiral walkway runs from the basement to the fifth floor. An Amazonian tree stands at its center, and walking down the ramp is part of the visit for many families.
What can children see and do?
The permanent exhibitions listed by the Ajuntament de Barcelona (Barcelona City Council) culture guide include these spaces:
- Bosc Inundat (Flooded Forest): a recreated Amazon rainforest with wet and dry zones. Its ceiba trees were cast from molds made in Pará, Brazil, and more than a hundred living species live there, among them birds, frogs, piranhas, capybaras and alligators.
- El Mur geològic (Geological Wall): large cuts of real rock showing erosion, volcanoes, faults and sediment layers, mostly from Catalonia, such as potassium salt from Súria and volcanic material from the Garrotxa volcanic zone.
- Sala Univers (Universe Hall): the main hall, a route from the Big Bang to human evolution and modern topics such as medicine, waste and robotics, explained with interactive modules.
- Base Antàrtica (Antarctic Base) and La història més bella del Cosmos (The most beautiful story of the Cosmos), two more permanent exhibitions.
For the youngest visitors, the Clik and Creactivity rooms use games. Clik works with smell, touch and sight, while Creactivity uses technology to explore building and electricity. The museum also has a planetarium, a bookstore, a shop, a library and a café.
What is on in autumn 2026?
A temporary exhibition, Sharks. Guardians of the Ocean, runs from Oct. 22, 2026 to Sept. 26, 2027, with a learning space on sharks open for the same period. Family visits linked to it, including one called Taurons +8 (Sharks 8+), run until Dec. 21, 2026.
Several planetarium shows run from Oct. 10 to Dec. 21, 2026, among them Planetari Polaris, Kiru i el misteri de la Lluna perduda (Kiru and the mystery of the lost Moon) and Forats negres (Black holes), which starts Oct. 12. Workshops in the same season include the Planetari bombolla (bubble planetarium), TermoShow, a fungi session under the microscope and a robot-building session called Creactivity. Autòmats. The SUNCINE environmental film festival is on at the museum from Nov. 4 to Nov. 22, 2026. Check the official page for times and whether an activity needs a separate booking.
How much are tickets and who gets in free?
General admission is €8 and includes the museum and its exhibitions. Entry is free for:
- young people up to 16 years old
- “la Caixa” bank customers
- everyone on Feb. 15 (Santa Eulàlia), May 18 (International Museum Day) and Sept. 24 (La Mercè)
Wikipedia gives planetarium tickets as four euros for adults and students, sold at the museum on the first floor. That price may be out of date, so confirm it at the ticket desk or on the museum’s site.
What are the opening hours and closing days?
The museum opens every day, holidays included, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. On Dec. 24, Dec. 31 and Jan. 5 it closes early, at 6:00 p.m. It is closed on Dec. 25, Jan. 1 and Jan. 6.
Where is it and how do you get there?
CosmoCaixa is at Carrer d’Isaac Newton, 26, in the Sant Gervasi – la Bonanova neighborhood of the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district. Wikipedia lists Avinguda Tibidabo as the nearest public transport stop. The building is accessible for people with physical disabilities. The switchboard number is 932126050 and the email address is [email protected].
Tips for visiting with children
Because under-16s enter free, a family with two adults pays two general tickets. Plan the Flooded Forest early in the visit and leave time for the spiral ramp. Workshops and planetarium shows run on fixed dates, so check the schedule before you go. If the weather turns, CosmoCaixa pairs well with other indoor options in our list of museums for a rainy day in Barcelona, and older children who like art may enjoy the art museums with their ticket prices.
Quick answers
Is CosmoCaixa free for children?
Yes. The city’s culture guide lists free entry for young people up to 16 years old.
Is CosmoCaixa open on Sundays and holidays?
Yes, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., except Dec. 25, Jan. 1 and Jan. 6, when it is closed, and Dec. 24, Dec. 31 and Jan. 5, when it closes at 6:00 p.m.
Are there free days for adults?
Entry is free for everyone on Feb. 15, May 18 and Sept. 24, and for “la Caixa” customers on any day.
Checked against official sources in November 2026. Hours, prices and rules change: confirm on the official page before you go or apply.
