The first is Caixa Forum. This is a museum run by the bank, La Caixa, and until May 2013, entrance to its rotating exhibitions was free. Say so long to an inexpensive Sunday at the museums! The funny thing about the Caixa Forum charging is that it is not a government-run entity (where most of our cuts are taking place in Spain), but a bank… or wait a minute, maybe those two are one in the same these days?

Hard to say, but in any case they will charge you €4 to get into the museum unless you’re a Caixa bank member. Most visitors to Barcelona are not Caixa bank members. Which leads us to the logical question: Is it worth 4? Eh…. Depends on what exhibition is on and your interest level, but probably not. There are other museums I’d pay to get into before Caixa Forum, like MNAC.

In addition, the beloved and crowded Park Güell is going to have an entrance fee come October 2013. Honestly, this is not that surprising. Park Güell, along with La Sagrada Familia, are two of the biggest Gaudí draws in the city. I can’t believe they haven’t been charging folks to get in there for years. Such as it is, the party is over. Unless you live in the area, you’ll have to pay €8 euros to get in.

Is it worth it? Hmmm, yeah, probably. I’d pay to go in Park Güell before paying to go in La Sagrada Familia. I’d see La Sagrada Familia from the outside and Park Güell from the inside.

You’ll be pleased to know that walking on the beach and breathing air are still free activities in Barcelona. But it may only be a matter of time!

The post Barcelona: Park Guell and Caixa Forum to start charging for admission appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Cheap or even free is a great price in an expensive town like Barcelona. There are many museums in eastern Spain’s capital city, some with high entrance fees, such as Casa Batllo, and others with ocassional free admission. Let’s explore the latter.

1. Caixa Forum

Funded by the Catalan bank, La Caixa, the CaixaForum museum offers rotating exhibitions by national and international artists. The last show I attended was the Mucha collection, which was fantastic. CaixaForum is free, open every day of the week, except holidays.

Update May 2013: Sadly, the Caixa Forum has started charging for admission. Read more about that here.

Caixa Forum Barcelona
Open: Monday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM; Saturdays: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Av. Marquès de de Comillas, 6-8
08038 Barcelona
Tel. +34 93 476 86 00

2. Museu D’Història

There are several museums that form part of Barcelona’s history museum route. However, I recommend the Museu D’Historia at Plaça de Rei in the Gothic Quarter of the city. Here admission is €6.00 for adults and €4.00 for those under 25 or over 65. Admission is free on Sunday, after 3 PM.

Museu D’Història
Plaza del Rey (Plaça de Rei)
08002 Barcelona

3. Museu D’Arqueologia de Catalunya

This archaeology museum will please those intrigued by Barcelona’s Roman past. Set atop the city’s “mountain,” Montjuic, the Museu D’Arqueologia de Catalunya (“MAC”) offers history and a view. Plus, at just €3.00 per person for admission, the price is right.

MAC Barcelona
Passeig de Santa Madrona, 39-41
Parc de Montjuïc
08038 Barcelona

Final Tips: The “articketBCN,” free Sundays, and Montjuic de Nit

Finally, the best way to save if you love museums and plan to see many of them while in Barcelona is to buy the €20 “articketBCN“. This museum pass allows you to see several museums such as the MNAC, CCCB, MACBA and the Miró Museum within a certain period of time. Usually these larger museums charge about €8.00 for admission, so in the long run you’ll save big. Buy the art ticket at the admission counter of any museum or at the tourist information office at Plaça Catalunya.

Also, many museums in Barcelona are free on Sunday afternoons, so make sure to ask about this at the tourist information center when you visit.

And one more thing! This July 4th, 2009, ALL the museums atop Montjuic are free from 8 PM until 3 AM, for a cultural festival called Montjuic de Nit. Enjoy!

About the author: Regina W. Bryan is a Barcelona-based freelance writer and photographer. When not eating tapas and exploring Europe, she is tending her balcony veggie garden and practicing Catalan. For more of her thoughts on Spain, check: www.regwb.com and www.thespainscoop.com.

The post Barcelona Art: Free (and cheap) museums, and more appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.