★★★★★ 5.0
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Museu de Cera de Barcelona
The year is 1867, and Barcelona's most prestigious bank vault is being sealed with the finest steel... but nobody imagined that 150 years later, visitors would enter through a hole cut with a blowlamp. You're standing at the Museu de Cera on Passatge de la Banca - literally "Bank Passage" - where this magnificent neoclassical mansion once housed the powerful Banco de Barcelona's headquarters. That ornate façade you see hides something incredible: the original bank vault still exists inside, and it's now home to wax figures from Spain's hit series "Money Heist," complete with a staged robbery scene. The building's transformation in 1973 preserved every original decorative element, from the soaring ceilings to the period furniture in the Recital Lounge. But here's the real secret locals know - after exploring 120 wax figures across 28 interactive rooms, head to the enchanted forest café where fairy tale creatures hide among real trees, making this the only museum in Barcelona where you can sip coffee with gnomes in an indoor magical forest.
Did You Know?
- Fact 1: The Museu de Cera is housed in a stunning Neoclassical mansion built in 1867, originally serving as the headquarters for the Bank of Barcelona—visitors can still see original features like the historic bank vault, where a dramatic wax robbery scene is staged, accessed through an opening made with a blowlamp.
- Fact 2: The museum underwent a major, technology-driven renovation during the COVID-19 lockdowns, emerging as a 21st-century attraction with over 150 wax figures across 28 interactive sets—featuring everything from ‘Money Heist’ and ‘Star Wars’ to local icons like Messi and Rosalía, blending pop culture with history in a way that’s rare for traditional wax museums.
- Fact 3: Families and children are especially enchanted by the hidden gem Café Bosc de les Fades (‘Forest of the Fairies’), a magical bar adjacent to the museum that recreates an enchanted forest with gnomes, strange trees, and glowing will-o’-the-wisps—offering a whimsical, immersive experience that’s unique to Barcelona.