If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to travel on the Barcelona Metro decades ago, you’re in luck. On the occasion of the centenary of the Metro (which is soon to be said), Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) has decided to do something unprecedented: to literally take its crown jewels out of the underground and plant them in the middle of the street.
The esplanade located in front of the cultural center of the Farinera del Clot, in the Glòries area, hosts from this November 10 an exhibition that is pure railway nostalgia. And yes, you can enter, and yes, it’s free.
A museum on rails in the middle of the street
What TMB has set up in Glòries is no small thing. It is a large tent of 1,200 m² that protects five historic cars that have been meticulously restored. According to TMB, this is the first time that this railway heritage has left the depot to be exhibited above ground.
The protagonists of the exhibition are cars from the 100, 300, 400, 1100 and 3000 series. For the lesser train nerds, this translates into seeing cars that ran from the 1920s to much more recent times.
The restoration process has been complex, returning the cars to their original colors and recovering the interior lighting, so that the feeling of a trip back in time is complete.
A plan accessible to all
The exhibition is not only to look at from the outside. The best part of the initiative is that visitors can climb up and tour the interior of these relics.
To ensure that everyone can enjoy it, access to the interior of the carriages is via walkways that are level with the floor of the trains. These have stairs and a ramp, ensuring full accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
The perfect (and free) plan until Epiphany
This “time capsule” on tracks will be open to the public until January 6, 2026, making it a perfect plan for the coming weeks and, of course, for Christmas.
Admission is completely free. You can visit it from Monday to Friday, from 10:00 to 18:00 hours, and on weekends, from 10:00 to 19:00 hours.
This exhibition is one of the great events of the centenary of the Metro, in addition to other initiatives such as visits (always sold out) to the ghost stations and the night race through the subway tunnels. A unique opportunity to see, touch and feel how Barcelona moved long before air conditioning and wifi on the platform.