Barcelona – Big Fun Museum & Museum of Illusions Experience

Barcelona’s Big Fun Museum is built for pictures, not quiet contemplation. You can stand inside a giant house, pose in a room turned upside down, bite into a cake on a ceiling, and move through a series of playful fantasy settings before heading to the Museum of Illusions.

I like the wide mix of rooms, since the visit keeps changing pace, and I like that the two museums can be visited with one ticket. The photo-friendly setups also give families and friends something to do together rather than simply look at displays.

The main drawback is that the Big Fun Museum is aimed largely at children and playful adults, while the Museum of Illusions can feel smaller and more dependent on waiting your turn at each artwork. A few displays may also be closed for maintenance.

Key points at a glance

• Nine themed rooms at Big Fun Museum: Move from giant objects and upside-down furniture to sweets, fantasy scenes, food art, and magic.
• The best photo setups are hands-on: Use marked spots and the right camera angle to make the tricks work.
• Two museums in one ticket: Visit both locations during one day, with the buildings close enough to walk between.
• Food art adds a hungry twist: Famous artworks are recreated with cakes, fruit, and other food-based materials.
• Good for mixed-age groups: Children get physical play, while adults and couples can enjoy the photo opportunities.
• No guide required: You explore independently, and pictures are allowed inside both museums.

What kind of Barcelona experience is this?

This is a playful break from Barcelona’s churches, galleries, and historic streets. You are not coming here for original masterpieces or a long explanation from a guide. You are coming to take part in the displays.

The $35 price covers general admission to both the Big Fun Museum and the Museum of Illusions. That makes the ticket easier to judge than two separate admissions, especially if you plan to visit both. The value is strongest for a family or group that will spend time taking photos and trying several poses in each room.

You should allow a good part of a day rather than trying to rush through. The ticket is valid for one day, and the two museums are close together. Still, the amount of time you need depends on how many pictures you take. A quick visit can be fairly short, while a group that wants everyone to try each scene will need much longer.

There is no transportation or guide included. You make your own way to the entrance on Rambla de Sant Josep and show your voucher at the door. That arrangement keeps the visit simple, but you are responsible for finding the museums and managing your own timing.

Starting on Rambla de Sant Josep

The visit begins at the museum entrance on Rambla de Sant Josep. This central meeting point makes the experience easy to add to a day of exploring Barcelona, though you will want to check your route before setting out.

You enter independently rather than joining a guided group. That matters here because the exhibits work best at your own speed. A child may want to repeat a scene several times, while an adult may need a moment to find the right pose and camera angle.

Photos are allowed throughout the museums. Bring a phone with enough space for pictures, since the visit is designed around visual tricks. The best images usually depend on standing in the correct place, not simply pointing the camera at the wall.

Some displays have marked positions that help create the intended illusion. At the Museum of Illusions in particular, look for the spots on the floor before taking a picture. Standing in the wrong place can make a clever effect look flat.

Big Fun Museum: nine rooms with nine different moods

The Big Fun Museum is the larger and more varied half of the experience. Its nine rooms do not follow one serious subject. Instead, each one offers a new setting for pictures, play, or surprise.

That variety is useful if you are visiting with a mixed-age group. Someone who is not interested in one room can usually find a different style of display nearby. The tradeoff is that the museum can feel more like a collection of photo attractions than a carefully connected exhibition.

Giant’s House

The Giant’s House changes your sense of scale. Ordinary objects become enormous, making you appear tiny beside them.

This is an easy room for families because the idea is immediate. Children can play with the difference in size, while adults can frame pictures that make it look as if they are standing inside an oversized home.

The room also sets the tone for the rest of Big Fun Museum. You are encouraged to interact with the setting, try different poses, and think about how the camera sees the room.

Upside Down House

The Upside Down House turns familiar domestic scenes on their heads. Furniture and rooms appear fixed to the ceiling, giving you the chance to look as if you are walking across a ceiling or falling into a room.

This is one of the places where a little planning helps. Take the picture from the suggested angle and ask someone in your group to frame the full scene. A rushed snapshot may not show the effect clearly.

A birthday group can make especially good use of this room. One visitor described posing as if biting into a birthday cake on the ceiling, along with opening a giant bottle of wine. The point is not realism. It is the silly, shared picture you take home.

Sweet Museum

The Sweet Museum is aimed at your playful side, with a candy-colored fantasy setting. It offers another change of mood after the giant and upside-down rooms.

This room is particularly useful for younger children, but adults can have fun with the scale and bright designs too. If you are taking pictures for a birthday or social media, it gives you a different backdrop from the architectural tricks in the earlier rooms.

Do not expect a food tasting stop. The food theme is visual, and the experience is about the display rather than eating.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

The Alice Through the Looking Glass room takes the museum into a storybook world. Its appeal comes from the feeling that normal rules have shifted, which fits the broader theme of the Big Fun Museum.

This is a good spot for creative poses instead of standard standing portraits. Couples and friends can play with the fantasy setting, while families can let children decide how the scene should be used.

The room is also a reminder that the museum does not depend only on optical illusions. Some rooms work through scale, color, and theatrical design.

Believe It or Not

The Believe It or Not room focuses on real-world record-breakers. It provides a contrast to the made-up fantasy rooms by presenting unusual human achievements and oddities.

The supplied details do not specify each record on display, so you should expect a general collection rather than a detailed historical exhibition. It works best as a short stop between the more active rooms.

For some people, this will be one of the less interactive areas. If your main aim is to take pictures, the giant rooms and illusion displays will likely hold your attention longer.

Food Art

Food Art is one of the more unusual rooms. Familiar works of art are recreated using food of different kinds, turning paintings into something that looks edible, comic, and slightly strange.

I like this room because it changes the question from What am I looking at? to How was this made from food? It also gives the museum a visual joke that you will not find in a standard art gallery.

The display may make you hungry, but it is not presented as a meal or tasting. Think of it as a playful art exhibit with food as its material.

Museum of Madness

The Museum of Madness is the darkest stop in the Big Fun Museum. It presents a frightening walkthrough focused on brutal psychiatric treatments from history.

This section may not suit young children or anyone who dislikes disturbing subjects. It also changes the tone sharply after the sweets and fantasy rooms, so you may want to decide in advance if everyone in your group is comfortable entering.

The room is included in the overall sequence, but you do not need to treat every section as equally suitable for every member of your party. Families may prefer to move through this area quickly or skip it if the subject feels too intense.

Magic Room

The Magic Room finishes the Big Fun Museum with a digital experience. You can see a magical forest, look at stars, and enjoy views of Barcelona through an imaginative presentation.

It is less about a single photo trick and more about atmosphere and changing imagery. After the physical sets, this room gives the visit a more modern finish.

The digital format also makes it a useful final pause before moving to the second museum. You have already seen giant props, themed sets, and food art. The Magic Room closes that portion with an electronic fantasy setting.

The Museum of Illusions and its 3D wall scenes

The Museum of Illusions is a separate stop, housed in another building close to the Big Fun Museum. The short walk between the two makes the combination practical, especially if you want a break between visits.

This museum focuses on 3D-effect paintings and perspective tricks. You position yourself within or beside the artwork so the camera makes you appear part of the scene.

I find this format works best when you have at least two people. One person poses while another takes the picture, then you switch roles. Solo visitors can still look at the displays, but the photo element is stronger with a companion.

Expect to wait briefly at popular artworks if another group is using the marked position. The museum is not simply a corridor of paintings that you pass without stopping. Each scene needs a little time for posing and photographing.

The floor markings are important. Use them rather than guessing where to stand. The correct perspective can turn a flat painting into a convincing image, while a few steps in the wrong direction may spoil the effect.

Some sections may be closed for maintenance on the day of your visit. That possibility is worth keeping in mind when judging the $35 cost. The combined ticket still gives you two attractions, but the exact number of working displays can vary.

The Museum of Illusions is often the stronger half for adults who are less interested in children’s play areas. Its humor comes from the camera and the way your eyes interpret the image. You can enjoy the pictures without needing to climb into every set.

How much time should you allow?

The ticket is valid for one day, not for a fixed one-hour session. That gives you room to plan both museums around the rest of your Barcelona day.

Your timing will depend on group size. A couple can move quickly, while a family may stop at nearly every room and repeat favorite pictures. The Big Fun Museum has nine areas, and the Museum of Illusions adds another series of scenes where people take turns.

I would avoid scheduling this immediately before a train, flight, or timed attraction. The visit has no guide pushing you along, which is pleasant, but it also means your own group controls the pace.

The holiday schedule is different from ordinary opening hours. From December 19, 2025, through January 10, 2026, the museums are open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with shorter hours on December 24 and December 31, and later opening on December 25 and January 1. Check the available start times before booking during this period.

The $35 ticket: good value for the right group

At $35 per person, this is not a bargain if you only want a quick look at one museum. The price makes more sense when you visit both locations and use the interactive rooms fully.

A family can spread the cost across many shared activities: giant rooms, upside-down scenes, fantasy settings, food art, and perspective pictures. Couples and adult friends may also find the ticket worthwhile if they enjoy taking playful photos together.

The value is weaker for someone seeking traditional art, detailed historical information, or a quiet museum visit. The displays are designed for participation and amusement. You are paying for settings and photo opportunities rather than a collection of important original works.

The combined ticket is the practical choice because the two museums are close together and offer different styles. Big Fun Museum gives you rooms and props. Museum of Illusions gives you painted scenes and visual tricks. Visiting both reduces the chance that the experience feels repetitive.

Practical tips for a smoother visit

Keep your phone ready, but do not rush. The best pictures often need a few attempts, especially in the upside-down rooms and at the 3D artworks.

Use the marked floor spots at the Museum of Illusions. They are there to guide the perspective, and ignoring them is one of the easiest ways to miss the intended effect.

Plan for a group member to take pictures, then swap roles. If everyone wants to appear in every image, you may need to use the available camera setup or ask another person for help.

Lockers were available during at least some visits, which can make the experience easier if you do not want to carry bags through every room. Staff at the Big Fun Museum were described as helpful, while service at the Museum of Illusions may feel less warm, though still functional.

The museums are accessible for people with reduced mobility. If a section is closed for maintenance, ask staff what remains open so you can adjust your route.

Who will enjoy it most?

This is a strong match for families with children, especially if you want a break from Barcelona’s formal museums. It also suits teenagers, couples, and adult friends who like taking funny pictures and trying visual tricks.

Adults can enjoy the Museum of Illusions even if the Big Fun Museum feels young. The Big Fun rooms are more physical and theatrical, while the second museum depends more on perspective and photography.

The experience is less suitable for anyone seeking serious art, quiet rooms, or a tightly guided cultural tour. The Museum of Madness may also be uncomfortable for younger children because of its subject matter.

Should you book the Big Fun Museum and Museum of Illusions?

Book it if your group wants a light, interactive day with plenty of pictures. The combination works because the two museums offer different kinds of fun, and the close locations make it easy to visit both.

I would especially recommend it for families, birthdays, couples, and friends who enjoy taking turns posing. The ticket gives you the best value when you use many rooms rather than stopping for a quick walk-through.

Skip it if your Barcelona plans center on traditional art, architecture, or serious history. Also think twice if you have very limited time and would only visit one building. For the right audience, though, this is an easygoing change of pace, with the Museum of Illusions likely to appeal most to adults and the Big Fun Museum offering the broadest range of playful settings.

FAQ

Where does the experience begin?

Enter at the museum entrance on Rambla de Sant Josep and show your voucher at the door.

What is included in the ticket?

The ticket includes general admission to the Big Fun Museum and general admission to the Museum of Illusions.

How long is the ticket valid?

The ticket is valid for one day. Check availability for the starting times offered on your selected date.

Are the two museums close together?

Yes. The two museum buildings are close enough to walk between, according to the available experience information.

Are photos allowed inside?

Yes. Photography is allowed inside both museums.

Is transportation included?

No. Transportation is not included, so you must make your own way to the museum entrance.

Is a guide included?

No. This is an independent admission ticket without a guide.

Is the experience accessible for people with reduced mobility?

Yes. The museums are accessible for people with reduced mobility.

What are the Christmas holiday opening hours?

From December 19, 2025, through January 10, 2026, opening hours are 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. On December 24 and December 31, hours are 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. On December 25 and January 1, the museums open from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.