Get Surreal: Your Private Tour Of Dali Theatre-Museum

by Sophie She

Get Surreal: Your Private Tour Of Dali Theatre-Museum

15 Jul 2024

Photo: Bernd Dittrich

So, imagine, you have arrived in Barcelona. By the way, here is our guide for this city. And once you are done with the fabulous list of the local museum scenery, it is time for world legends, right?

The famous Dalinian Triangle — Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Salvador Dali’s house in Portlligat, and Gala-Dali Castle in Pùbol — is right out of Barcelona’s corner. And today, we’ll investigate the centrepiece of this triptych — the Dali Theatre Museum.

In order to provide better visuals for this article — feel free to embark on a virtual tour.

Although this museum looks small, it is actually packed with information, following Dali’s paintings with your eyes, you will see dozens of symbols and thousands of details, so be prepared to absorb.

First of all, How to Get There:

From Barcelona:

— By Train: Take a high-speed Medium Distance train from Barcelona Sants to Figueres-Vilafant. The journey takes about 1-2 hours.

From Figueres train station, you can take a stroll to the Dali Theatre-Museum, which is about 2 km, s0 15 min away.

— By Car: Drive north on the AP-7 highway for approximately 140 km. The journey takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. There is a paid parking zone near the museum, or you can try and find a free spot near the railway station.

Follow the signs to Figueres and then to the museum.

From Madrid:

— By Train: Take a high-speed AVE train from Madrid Atocha to Figueres-Vilafant. The journey takes about four hours. Stroll to the museum, as mentioned above.

— By Plane: Fly from Madrid to Barcelona El Prat Airport. From the airport, take a train or car to Figueres as described above.

You will see the Theatre-Museum from a distance, as it is the only building covered in small breads on its walls and crowned by eggs.

Nota Bene! Tickets and Visit Information:

Opening Hours:

April 1–September 30: 9:00 AM–8:00 PM

October 1–March 31: 9:30 AM–6:00 PM

Closed on January 1, January 6, and December 25

Ticket Prices:

Find the ticket information here.

General: 17€ / 21€

Reduced: 14€ / 16€ (Student, junior (9–18 years), senior +65, disability 33% and companion disability 33%)

Disability 50%: free

Companion Disability 50%: free

Under 8 years: free

Icom: free

About the previous residents

Salvador Dalí, born in Figueres, Spain, in 1904, was a pioneering surrealist artist renowned for his striking and bizarre imagery. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid, where he developed his unique artistic style. Dalí's work often featured dreamlike scenes, melting clocks, and fantastical elements.

Gala, born Elena Ivanovna Diakonova in 1894 in Russia, was Dalí's muse, collaborator, and wife. Originally married to poet Paul Éluard, she met Dalí in 1929, and they married in 1934. Gala played a significant role in Dalí's life and work, inspiring many of his masterpieces and managing his affairs. Their intense and unconventional relationship profoundly influenced Dalí's art, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of surrealism.

Photo: Van Vechten, Carl, 1880–1964

The Collection

The Dalí Theatre-Museum, the largest surrealistic object in the world, occupies the former Municipal Theatre building, a nineteenth-century construction destroyed at the end of the Spanish Civil War. On its ruins, Salvador Dalí decided to create his museum, stating, "Where, if not in my own city, should the most extravagant and solid examples of my art remain?"

The museum consists of two main areas:

The first area, rooms one to eighteen, is the old, burnt-out theatre converted into a Theatre-Museum, designed by Dalí himself (you’ll find a photo-exhibition of this design process inside). Each part of this space is an intrinsic component of the whole.

The second area, rooms nineteen to twenty-four, includes the complex of rooms formed through the museum's progressive extensions.

You begin your journey outside, in the Gala-Salvador Dalí Square, where visitors encounter some of Dalí's favourite themes: science, academic art, innovative art, and Catalan thought. This central courtyard, dominated by a vertical installation featuring an imposing Cadillac (find more info below) and surreal sculptures, offers an impressive introduction to Dalí's world. In the courtyard’s garden, you will find the name Gala written with greenery (readable from above).

Ascending from the courtyard via ramps, visitors reach the Municipal Theatre stage, crowned by a stunning geodesic cupola designed by architect Emilio Perez Pinheiro. This cupola has become the symbol of the Theatre-Museum and Figueres itself. At night, the cupola's reflection on the large glass wall creates a mesmerising vision, embodying Dalí's surreal and theatrical dream.

Inside you’ll find two narrow gallery-like spaces, the Corridor Evarist Vallès features beautiful landscapes and walking further, Fishmonger’s corridor features Dali’s insane sketches, take some time to enjoy their fantasy.

Photo: Olesia Libra

Quick Must-Sees of the Collection

Early Works and Influences:

— Self-Portrait with "Raphael" Style (1921): A painting that shows Dalí's early mastery of traditional techniques and his admiration for Renaissance artists.

— Portrait of My Father (1920): A significant work that reflects Dalí's evolving style and his ability to capture psychological depth.

Surrealist Masterpieces:

— Galarina (1945): A captivating portrait of Gala, Dalí's wife and muse, showcasing his detailed and realistic style.

— In one of the rooms, the hall on the second storey, you will find the picture, resembling the iconic The Persistence of Memory (1931). Though the original is at MoMA in New York, a strikingly similar piece, illustrating his iconic melting clocks, is part of the collection.

Sculptures and Installations:

— Mae West Room: An iconic remake of the installation that is based in Chicago. Here the furniture pieces, when viewed from a specific spot, form the face of actress Mae West.

— A sofa shaped like the lips of one of Broadway's most scandalous and sexy star.

— For Dali, she was an erotic monument to the era. May West, was a screenwriter, playwright, actress and author of hundreds of winged phrases like “Do you have a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me” or “When I'm good, I'm very, very good, but when I'm bad, I'm even better.”

— Rainy Taxi: A surrealist installation featuring a Cadillac that "rains'' inside, blending his fascination with cars and bizarre scenarios.

The composition was created for the World Exhibition of Surrealism in Paris in 1938. In the centre of the composition is a female sculpture on a cadillac, it is the Great Esther, with chains she pulls the column of Trajan, built of car shishas. The author of the Esther sculpture is not Dalí, but the Austrian sculptor Ernst Fuchs. The Cadillac is Dali's gift to Gala, and condoms hang from the bottom of the boat. "The Great Esther '' pulls the Trajan column made of car tyres with chains. There is also a bust of François Giraudon, Michelangelo's "Dalinised '' slave and Gala's favourite boat, on which she used to hunt young men.

Photo: moof

Holographic Art:

Dalí was a pioneer in exploring holography, and the museum features several of his holographic pieces, blending science and art to create three-dimensional images. Inside the museum look for a huge green projector, and once experienced — say hi to Velazques and his Meninas!

The Crypt:

Beneath the stage, the crypt holds Dalí’s tomb, making the museum his final resting place and adding a profound personal touch to the experience.

Tips for the Future Visit:

Purchase Tickets in Advance: The museum is a popular attraction, and purchasing tickets online can help avoid long queues.

Plan for a Half-Day Visit: With the vast collection and immersive installations, plan to spend at least 3-4 hours at the museum.

Have a bite afterwards: Go to BodeGA LA Xeli and enjoy a delicioso meal with a French twist.

Guided Tours: If you would like a special tour — look for a specific ticket in advance, as you won’t have a chance to join in the spot.

by Sophie She