Cosmo Caixa
Cosmo Caixa
Cosmo Caixa
Natural Sience Museum
Here you can touch (almost) everything, participate and get surprised. An experience for the whole family – guaranteed not to be boring!
My Rating:
The positives:
Children (and adults) are encouraged to try things out at the Cosmo Caixa – it’s learning by doing, a hands-on experience with science. And the price is good for families, too!
The negatives:
Unfortunately, the Cosmo Caixa is a bit far-off from the main sights. Their program is offered mainly in Catalan and Spanish.
Last Modified: 24.01.2024 | Céline
Cosmo Caixa
Tickets
The details
at a glance
What is there
to see?
“Explore, verify, be surprised”
The Cosmo Caixa, a museum of natural sciences, has made this its motto. Come in for a visit, and prepare yourself to be amazed by nature, technology, and science – and be a scientist for a while, too!
The Cosmo Caixa’s range is gigantic. You’ll find many different topics here – from depictions of ancient humans to an indoor jungle with animals, from electrical voltage tests to creating waves and sand storms. The basic principles of science can be explored in a playful and interesting manner at Cosmo Caixa.
In April 2023, I was finally here with my 5-year-old children and a lot has happened. The exhibition hall looks even more modern and there are new areas! The universe is brought to us with a “Big Bang” and you see the universe, along with the solar system. My kids could watch this forever!
The area dealing with the “brain” is also new. One can look at the blood flow through the human brain or compare its size to that of different animals.
Apart from a planetarium for grown-ups, there are many child-friendly activities, too (however, the activities are offered only in Spanish or Catalan, sorry). Also new is the LAB Math, the family research laboratory, which is located in the museum area. You can playfully devote yourself to scientific phenomena.
For instance, there’s the family science laboratory named “Click”, or an area called “Toca, Toca”, where you can experience the flora and fauna of different areas of the world first-hand, by touch! These activities can be booked at the entrance for an additional fee.
Cosmo Caixa
A bit of History
The historic part of the building in which the museum is located was built between 1904 and 1909 by the architect Josep Domènech i Estapà, and was initially used as housing for blind girls. It’s a beautiful work of modernist architecture, with its simple red bricks and the wonderful, decorative mosaics.
In 1979, the building was expanded, and opened to the public in 1981 as a science museum called “Caixa”. In the following years, further extensions became necessary, until the museum had to be completely re-designed. The new part of the building, made of glass and located underground, was created by the architects Esteve and Robert Terradas.
In September 2004, the time had come for the most modern museum of its kind in Europe to open its doors: The Cosmo Caixa. It has a total exhibition space of 50,000 m² (that’s almost 540,000 square feet!) and was named “European Museum of the Year” in 2006.
Official website of the Cosmo Caixa (ES): cosmocaixa.org/es/
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2013 – 2024