Museu de l'Empordà

Museu de l'Empordà is an art museum in Figueres, in Catalonia's Empordà region, bringing together works that trace local art history from antiquity through the 20th century.

How did the museum come to be?

The collection traces back to 1885, when the first pieces arrived in Figueres from the Prado in Madrid. Around that founding core grew a broader collection of Catalan art, with particular attention to artists tied to the Empordà region. The building that now houses the museum was constructed in 1946, though the institution itself only opened its doors there in 1971. From 1998, the museum was run by a consortium bringing together Figueres Town Council, the Regional Council of Alt Empordà, and the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation — three bodies closely tied to the city's cultural heritage. After that consortium was dissolved, the museum has been managed directly by Figueres Town Council's Department of Culture since 2015.

What will you see inside?

The collection spans a wide cross-section of regional art and history. Visitors will find archaeological pieces documenting the earliest settlements in Empordà, medieval art, and Baroque paintings, alongside a dedicated collection of Catalan art ranging from earlier masters to more recent creators. This layout makes it possible to trace how the region's artistic language evolved across centuries without having to visit several separate institutions.

How do you get there?

Figueres is easy to reach from both Barcelona and Girona thanks to regular train connections, including high-speed services that cut the journey from Barcelona to a little over an hour. The museum sits in the city centre, within walking distance of the train station and of the famous Dalí Theatre-Museum, making it simple to combine both visits in a single day.

When is the best time to visit?

Figueres tends to get busiest in summer, when visitors flock to the city's Salvador Dalí-related attractions. Travellers who prefer a quieter art visit without the crowds may want to consider spring or autumn, when parking in the centre is also easier to find and the main streets are less busy.

Who is this visit best suited for?

The museum will appeal most to travellers interested in the history of Catalan art and regional archaeology, rather than only the contemporary or surrealist work Figueres is best known for. It makes a strong complement to a city visit for anyone wanting a broader cultural picture of Empordà beyond the legacy of a single artist.

Frequently asked questions

Is the museum large? It's a fairly compact institution compared with Barcelona's major museums, so a visit typically takes an hour to ninety minutes — an easy fit within a day trip to Figueres.

Is it worth pairing with the Dalí Theatre-Museum? Yes, both sites sit close together in the city centre, so they naturally complement each other: one showcases Dalí's surrealist work, the other the broader artistic and historical background of the region.

Who runs the museum today? Since 2015 it has been managed directly by Figueres Town Council's Department of Culture, following an earlier period under a consortium of local institutions.

Does the collection include medieval art? Yes, the collection includes medieval art alongside archaeological pieces and Baroque painting, giving visitors a cross-section of several eras in one place.