Natural Science Museum of Barcelona, Natural history museum in El Besòs i el Maresme district, Barcelona, Spain
The Natural Science Museum Barcelona is a natural history institution housed in a contemporary building in the city's district. The structure displays roughly 4,500 specimens selected from a collection spanning millions of items, focusing on fossils, minerals, rocks, and preserved organisms of various kinds.
The institution was established in 1882 based on collections assembled by Francesc Martorell i Peña. Over more than a century, it grew and moved to several locations throughout Barcelona before arriving at its current home.
The museum presents its collections through interconnected geological and biological displays that show how nature's different parts relate to each other. Visitors observe fossils, preserved animals, and plants arranged together, revealing how these elements fit into larger natural systems.
Plan your visit by focusing on the sections that interest you most, as the collection is extensive and can take several hours to explore properly. The building is easy to navigate with clear signage throughout, helping you move between different exhibition areas without confusion.
The entrance hall features a whale skeleton discovered in 1862 on a nearby beach and later given a name through public voting by the community. This remarkable specimen immediately captures visitors' attention and has become a symbol of the institution.
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