Focused on the concept of paradox, Paradox Museum (which also has locations in London, Paris, Miami, and Shanghai that have already accumulated more than 3 million visits) is a museum, yes, but also much more. It is an immersive experience, the setting for our best photos, and even a good place to learn while having fun. Here are five reasons why you should definitely visit it.
1.- It has more than 70 installations that seem like magic (even though they’re not)
Paradox Museum is an interactive museum with more than 70 paradoxes to interact with. Although everything has a logical explanation, at first glance you will be surprised by its installations, which play with perception and optical effects to create illusions that seem like magic (in fact, many of them are tricks used by famous magicians).
There are also some that are perhaps less surprising but deeply aesthetic, and if we were to think of beautiful museums in Barcelona, we would definitely include the Paradox Museum on our list.
2.- Creating this world of illusions is like designing and assembling a giant puzzle
To bring the 12 current Paradox Museums to life, a team of designers and architects has worked around 9,334 hours, which is equivalent to a year and a month non-stop, not counting the 140 days of construction of each museum in its city, where workers have assembled no less than 2,515 individual pieces… Now that’s an expert-level puzzle!
Can you imagine walking from Plaza Urquinaona to Park Güell? Well, that’s more or less (3.4 km) the lengthof all the lines on the plans used to design the museum if we were to put them in a straight line.
In other words, each Paradox Museum is a monumental work, a project designed down to the last detail, which is why everything works with the precision of a Swiss watch, so that visitors can focus solely on having a good time.
3.- It is one of the most Instagrammable places in the city
At the Paradox Museum, touching is not only allowed, it’s essential. Almost all of the elements in its more than 70 exhibitions are interactive, allowing you to do things as diverse as disappearing into a sofa, becoming giant or tiny, defying gravity, talking to a piano, or being a floating head.
And you can show all this to your friends afterwards: the museum is specially designed for you to take the best photos and videos, with good lighting that ensures they will look great. What’s more, it has something we love: signs that tell you where to place your cell phone or camera to ensure the best angle.
4.- It’s also a very educational place
Paradox Museum is great fun, but that’s not all. All the paradoxes have an explanation, which in the museum takes the form of explanatory signs at each of the installations that, in a very entertaining way, tell you where the trick is (but don’t read them before you’ve had a go!). You can also scan QR codes to learn more.
This makes the museum a great place to visit with children, as although fun is the order of the day, it is combined with a touch of science and mathematics that will easily expand the knowledge of the little ones. In fact, if you are a teacher, the Paradox Museum can also be a good educational activity for your class: the museum offers the option of school visits.
5.- It’s close to everything
In recent years, the center of Barcelona seems to have become an area designed purely for tourists, with some family attractions located further out. This is not the case with the Paradox Museum, which is in the heart of the city, next to the Plaza Urquinaona metro station and only 500 meters from Plaza Catalunya.
This makes the museum a great option if you live outside the city and are coming to Barcelona by FGC or Renfe train, or if you live here and want to spend a day in the center, enjoying some shopping or a good meal and finishing off with this leisure activity.
