EN
Explore a city
  1. Home
  2. Barcelona
  3. Rainy day

Free things to do in Barcelona on a rainy day

Official sources checked Oct 5, 2026

Everything here is under a roof and costs nothing. Check the free day on each card: some of these museums are free only at certain hours.

Barcelona

Always free in Barcelona5

Open to everyone, every day they are open. No ticket to buy.

Illustration: Mercat de Santa CaterinaFREE

Mercat de Santa Caterina

Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsFoodLocal lifeArchitecture

A working neighborhood market under a rippling roof of 325,000 colored ceramic tiles, five minutes from the cathedral.

  • The tiled roof seen from Avinguda de Francesc Cambó
  • Remains of the medieval convent under glass at the back
  • Olive and salt cod stalls for a cheap picnic
Free when
Always · Mon, Wed, Sat 07:30 to 15:30; Tue, Thu, Fri 07:30 to 20:30 (shorter afternoon hours in summer). Closed Sunday
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 minutes
How to get there
Metro L4 to Jaume I, then 5 minutes on foot up Via Laietana
Worth it? Yes.What people hope the Boqueria will be. Fewer cameras, fair prices, and the roof is best seen from Avinguda de Francesc Cambó before you go in.
Source: Turisme de Barcelona · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Temple of AugustusFREE

Temple of Augustus

Barri Gòtic
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsHistoryArchitecture

Four Roman columns nine meters tall, standing inside a medieval courtyard behind the cathedral. They are what is left of the temple of Roman Barcino.

  • Corinthian capitals at eye level from the raised walkway
  • Millstone at the door marks the top of Roman Barcino
  • Pair it with the Roman walls on Plaça Nova
Free when
Always · Monday 10:00 to 14:00, Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 19:00, Sunday 10:00 to 20:00
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
15 minutes
How to get there
Metro L4 to Jaume I. The door is at Carrer del Paradís 10, a lane off Plaça de Sant Jaume
Worth it? Yes.Five minutes well spent and one of the few things open on a Monday. Easy to walk past, so look for the millstone set in the pavement outside the door.
Source: MUHBA · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: El Born Centre de Cultura i MemòriaFREE

El Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria

El Born
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsHistoryArchitecture

An 1876 iron market hall built over the streets flattened after the siege of 1714. You look down on the excavated houses from walkways for free.

  • Streets and house floors of 1700, seen from above
  • The iron and glass roof of the old market
  • Free display on the market's own history in the lobby
Free when
Always · Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 20:00 (March to October), 10:00 to 19:00 (November to February). Closed Monday. Free access covers the hall and walkways, not the exhibitions or going down into the ruins
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 to 45 minutes
How to get there
Metro L4 to Jaume I or Barceloneta, then 8 minutes on foot to Plaça Comercial
Worth it? Yes.The free part is enough for most people. Read the panels on the north side first, then the ruins make sense.
Source: MUHBA · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: La Virreina Centre de la ImatgeFREE

La Virreina Centre de la Imatge

La Rambla
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsArt

The city's photography and image center, in an 18th-century palace on La Rambla. All exhibitions are free.

  • The palace courtyard and stone staircase
  • Two exhibitions at a time, usually photography or video
  • The city's festival giants are sometimes shown in the lobby
Free when
Always · Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays 11:00 to 20:00. Closed Monday
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
45 minutes
How to get there
Metro L3 to Liceu. La Rambla 99, next door to the Boqueria
Worth it? Yes.Shows lean political and can be hit or miss, but it costs nothing and gets you out of the Rambla crowd. Good rain plan.
Source: La Virreina Centre de la Imatge · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Mercat de la BoqueriaFREE

Mercat de la Boqueria

La Rambla, El Raval
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsFoodLocal life

The famous covered market on La Rambla, trading on this spot since 1840 under an iron roof.

  • The modernista entrance arch with the Sant Josep emblem
  • Fish counters in the oval at the center
  • Back rows where neighbors still shop, before 10:00
Free when
Always · Monday to Saturday 08:00 to 20:30. Closed Sunday
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 to 45 minutes
How to get there
Metro L3 to Liceu, the entrance is on La Rambla 91
Worth it? Depends.Worth a look, not a long stay. The front stalls sell tourists fruit cups at tourist prices, so walk to the back for the fish and offal counters, and go before 10:00.
Source: Turisme de Barcelona · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps

Free on certain days, or for certain people8

Mostly museums. The free window, who it applies to and the booking rule are on each card.

Illustration: Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC)€12FREE

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

Montjuïc
Free on certain daysBooking requiredIndoorGood with kidsArtHistoryViews

A thousand years of Catalan art in the palace above Plaça d'Espanya. The Romanesque church murals, lifted whole from Pyrenean valleys, are the reason to come.

  • The Christ in Majesty from Sant Climent de Taüll
  • Rooftop terrace view, included in the ticket
  • The oval hall under the dome
Free when
Every Saturday from 15:00 (closes 18:00 October to April, 20:00 May to September). Also the first Sunday of each month, 10:00 to 15:00
Free for whom
Everyone. Under 16s and over 65s are free at any time
Reservation
Online reservation is mandatory for free visits. Book on the museum site
Time needed
2 hours
How to get there
Metro L1 or L3 to Espanya, then 15 minutes up the escalators
Worth it? Yes.The best free museum slot in the city. In winter you only get three hours, so head straight to the Romanesque rooms and leave the rest.
Source: Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Museu Picasso€12 online, €13 at the deskFREE

Museu Picasso

El Born
Free on certain daysBooking requiredIndoorGood with kidsArt

Picasso's early years, in five joined medieval palaces on Carrer de Montcada. Strong on his teens in Barcelona and the Las Meninas series.

  • Science and Charity, painted when he was 15
  • The 58 canvases of the Las Meninas series
  • Gothic courtyards of the Montcada palaces
Free when
Every Thursday 16:00 to 19:00, and the first Sunday of each month all day. From 31 March to 27 September also Thursday, Friday and Saturday 19:00 to 21:00
Free for whom
Everyone. Under 18s are free at any time
Reservation
Prior reservation required. Free tickets go online four days before the visit, from 10:00, and are gone fast
Time needed
1.5 hours
How to get there
Metro L4 to Jaume I, then 5 minutes on foot
Worth it? Yes.Set an alarm for 10:00 four days ahead, because turning up without a ticket gets you nowhere. Do not expect Guernica-era work. This is the young Picasso.
Source: Museu Picasso · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: MUHBA Plaça del Rei€7.30FREE

MUHBA Plaça del Rei

Barri Gòtic
Free on certain daysIndoorGood with kidsHistoryArchitecture

The city history museum. A lift takes you down under the square to walk through 4,000 square meters of excavated Roman Barcino.

  • Roman laundry and fish-sauce factory under the square
  • Wine vats of a 3rd-century winery
  • The Saló del Tinell hall on the way out
Free when
Every Sunday from 15:00 to 20:00, and the first Sunday of each month all day (10:00 to 20:00)
Free for whom
Everyone. Under 16s are free at any time
Reservation
Ask for the free ticket at the desk. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing
Time needed
1.5 hours
How to get there
Metro L4 to Jaume I, then 3 minutes on foot
Worth it? Yes.The underground streets are the best history lesson in the city. Arrive right at 15:00, the queue builds by 16:00.
Source: MUHBA · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: MACBA€15 at the desk, €13.50 onlineFREE

MACBA

El Raval
Free on certain daysIndoorGood with kidsArtArchitecture

The contemporary art museum, in Richard Meier's white building. The square in front is one of Europe's best-known skate spots.

  • The glass-walled ramps facing the square
  • Keith Haring's AIDS mural on the wall outside
  • Skaters on Plaça dels Àngels at dusk
Free when
MACBA Evenings: every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 18:00 (closes 19:30 Thursday and Friday, 20:00 Saturday; 20:00 all three from 25 June to 24 September). Also the first Sunday of each month, 10:00 to 15:00
Free for whom
Everyone. Under 16s are free at any time
Reservation
Not needed, ask for the free ticket at the desk
Time needed
1 to 1.5 hours
How to get there
Metro L1 or L2 to Universitat, then 6 minutes on foot to Plaça dels Àngels
Worth it? Yes.Ninety minutes is about right for this collection, so the evening slot fits well. If conceptual art leaves you cold, watch the skaters outside for free instead.
Source: MACBA · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: CCCB€8 online, €10 at the deskFREE

CCCB

El Raval
Free on certain daysBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kidsArtHistory

The contemporary culture center next to MACBA, in a former almshouse. Big themed exhibitions on cities, science, writers and technology.

  • The mirrored wall tilting over the Pati de les Dones
  • Two temporary exhibitions, both free on Sunday afternoon
  • Reserve online a few days ahead
Free when
Every Sunday 15:00 to 20:00
Free for whom
Everyone. Under 16s are free at any time
Reservation
Capacity is limited, reserve the free slot online in advance
Time needed
1.5 hours
How to get there
Metro L1 or L2 to Universitat, then 6 minutes on foot to Carrer de Montalegre 5
Worth it? Yes.Exhibitions here are usually better explained than MACBA's next door. Check what is on first, since everything depends on the current show.
Source: CCCB · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Museu Marítim de Barcelona€10FREE

Museu Marítim de Barcelona

El Raval, Port Vell
Free on certain daysIndoorGood with kidsHistoryArchitecture

The medieval royal shipyards at the foot of La Rambla, the largest surviving Gothic shipyard anywhere, now the maritime museum.

  • Full-size replica of the royal galley of Lepanto
  • Rows of 14th-century stone arches
  • Garden cafe courtyard, free to enter any day
Free when
Every Sunday from 15:00 to 20:00 (last entry 19:00)
Free for whom
Everyone. Under 17s are free at any time
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1 to 1.5 hours
How to get there
Metro L3 to Drassanes, the museum is across the road
Worth it? Yes.Come for the building as much as the boats. The stone arches alone are worth the walk, and the schooner Santa Eulàlia is closed for now.
Source: Museu Marítim de Barcelona · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Museu Frederic Marès€4.40FREE

Museu Frederic Marès

Barri Gòtic
Free on certain daysIndoorGood with kidsArtHistory

One sculptor's obsessive collections: medieval carved Christs downstairs, and upstairs thousands of fans, pipes, keys, clocks and toys.

  • Orange-tree courtyard of the old royal palace, free any day
  • The Ladies' Room of fans, combs and purses
  • A whole wall of Romanesque crucifixes
Free when
Every Sunday 15:00 to 20:00, and the first Sunday of each month 11:00 to 20:00
Free for whom
Everyone. Under 16s are free at any time
Reservation
Not needed. No audio guide on free days
Time needed
1 to 1.5 hours
How to get there
Metro L4 to Jaume I. Plaça de Sant Iu 5, beside the cathedral
Worth it? Yes.The oddest museum in the old town and usually quiet. Skip ahead to the Collector's Cabinet on the upper floors if carved saints wear you out.
Source: Museu Frederic Marès · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Palau Güell€15FREE

Palau Güell

El Raval
Free on certain daysBooking requiredIndoorGood with kidsArchitectureArt

Gaudí's first big commission, a dark townhouse off La Rambla with a central hall rising to a pierced dome and a roof of tiled chimneys.

  • The central hall's dome, pierced like a night sky
  • Twenty mosaic chimneys on the roof
  • Stables in the brick-vaulted basement
Free when
First Sunday of each month. Open 10:00 to 20:00 (April to October), 10:00 to 17:30 (November to March)
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Required. Free tickets go online the Thursday before at 10:00, in limited numbers
Time needed
1 hour
How to get there
Metro L3 to Liceu, then 3 minutes on foot to Carrer Nou de la Rambla 3
Worth it? Yes.The only Gaudí interior you can see for nothing, and less crowded than the famous houses. Be online at 10:00 sharp on the Thursday.
Source: Palau Güell · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps

Free things in other cities

USANew York35 free thingsUSAChicago23 free thingsUSALas Vegas22 free thingsUSAWashington DC29 free thingsUSALos Angeles25 free thingsUSASan Francisco25 free thingsUSAOrlando21 free thingsUKLondon30 free thingsFranceParis31 free thingsItalyRome29 free things