Cosmocaixa: a place for the entire family in the city of Barcelona.
In one of my previous posts, I praised Cosmocaixa for being a wonderful kid-friendly destination. However, that was just a small glimpse of what it has to offer. If you haven´t seen that post yet, give it a quick read! It includes great ideas for a family-friendly trip to Barcelona. You’ll find it here: 5 Places To Go And Have Fun With Kids In Barcelona.
Since Barcelona’s strict COVID-19 restrictions are still keeping tourists at bay (and don’t seem to be going anywhere soon), we decided to plan a surprise trip to Cosmocaixa for our friends and family! Spoiler alert: the visit was a success!!! Our kids loved every part of the museum: the dinosaurs, the science experiments, the parts of the human body, and last but not least, the Flooded Wood.
You might be thinking, “Wow, you just told me everything about the museum. No need to see it now!” Yes, that’s technically everything you’ll find, but…there’s a big difference between reading a quick summary online and experiencing it for yourself. You really do have to see it in person to discover and appreciate all of its curious wonders. Trust me, my little “spoiler” didn’t ruin anything.
If you’re concerned about COVID-19, don’t be; they’re on top of it! Marked walkways keep visitors moving safely in one direction, similar to what many retail stores did in the pandemic’s early days. The staff is also taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves others. Needless to say, they know what they’re doing; this is a science museum, after all.
Now, for the attractions themselves. First, they have high-tech 3D printers and many futuristic models of clothes, shoes, and even prosthetic replacements for missing limbs. They also have displays featuring guitars, motorcycles built from eco-friendly materials, and an incredible display combining lights and pictures.
There is also a fun (and challenging) memory game machine! The concept is to remember which card features the same image that you’re shown. Of course, the cards are flipped, so you’ll have to rely on a little brain power to find the right one. Of course, the machine always wins (hahaha!), but it’s still a ton of fun. We spent a few minutes there enjoying the game.
More Science…so Cool!
After that, we headed over the main area, a place where you can lose yourself in vast collections of experiments and animals and wonderful oddities that you just won’t find anywhere else. It’s hard to understand all there is to see and do without visiting yourself. There, you’ll find experiments on pretty much everything from wind and ice to the general ways physics works. There is a part with the evolution of the human being, if you have any doubts, the staff explains to you about what is exposed. And then there’s the part featuring live microorganisms (such as bacteria) that discusses how they live. Then, a few more experiments with water, wind, and rocks.
Towards the end of this section, we discovered the fossilized remains of a T-Rex, a triceratops, and a few other dinosaur skeletons! And those are just the ones I remember best. The kids loooove this! We asked them a few questions and they already knew the answers; they just adore dinosaurs.
Next up is my favorite part of Cosmocaixa, the Flooded Wood. The temperature difference is huge! The larger area is a bit cold, but once inside the Flooded Wood, it becomes very hot, almost tropical. I’m pretty sure that’s to accommodate the many species living there. The architecture is stunning! It’s part wood with the water right there in plain sight, almost close enough to touch. Then, you go straight to an aquarium featuring a variety of marine life. It’s super cool!
After finishing the Flooded Wood and Aquarium, there’s an entire section detailing the human body just before exiting. It discusses how the brain works, including its neurons and nerves. There are even displays of the human central nervous system featuring real nerves! How cool is that?! There are also examples of different types of brains, starting with a fish and finishing with a human.
I feel like a kid every time I go because the Cosmocaixa exhibitions change from time to time and there’s always something new to learn.
In case you couldn’t tell, I love this place! It’s one of my favorite Barcelona tours.
Thanks for stopping by to read my post and share my experience.
Till next time, see you in my next post!
Since is a bit far from the city center, I’ve included a map to help you find it. 😉
