Casa Vicens

In the heart of Gracia, one of Barcelona’s most emblematic and authentic neighbourhoods, hides a treasure that has finally been returned to the general public: Casa Vicens, the first house designed by the city’s iconic architect, the Catalan Antonio Gaudí.

It is an extraordinary building, inspired by Mudejar architecture, with splendid ceramic decorations on the exterior walls, turrets, motifs inspired by the forms of nature.

Perhaps it may seem like an immature work compared to the masterpieces of his maturity, but it is already a manifesto of Gaudí’s architectural conception, in which all the constructive, decorative and symbolic elements that distinguish his most famous works are already contained. It is also considered a symbolic building of Modernism for the importance it had in the later development of this artistic movement.

Home to interesting temporary and permanent exhibitions and numerous research and educational activities, Casa Vicens deserves to be added to the list of things to see in Barcelona.

Why visit Casa Vicens

“I’ve already seen La Pedrera and Casa Batlló, why should I see another Gaudí house?”. The answer is simple: Casa Vicens is both the beginning and the end of an ideal route that takes you to get to know one of the most brilliant modern artists, who with his works forged the international image and in a way also the soul of Barcelona.

In other words, Casa Vicens is a must-see attraction for all those who are not satisfied with a hit-and-run visit to the city but want to penetrate its secrets.

Thanks to a rigorous restoration, Gaudí’s first house is presented to the public as it was originally conceived. You can learn more about the artist, but also about the architectural, artistic and socio-cultural context (local and international) in which he worked.

There is another good reason to visit Casa Vicens: it is simply beautiful!

Things to do at Casa Vicens

During your visit to Casa Vicens you can enter all the spaces of the building:

• the ground floor, with the ticket offices and a large reception area for visitors
• the first and second floors, where the permanent and temporary exhibitions are housed
• the basement, once used as a coal shop and now a book and souvenir shop;
• the garden, at the edge of which is the cafeteria.

Visiting the permanent exhibition, entitled‘Casa Vicens, Gaudí’s first house. The manifesto of his work‘, you can see manuscripts and drawings by the artist (originals and reproductions), an audiovisual projection showing the growth of the city of Barcelona in those years, and other documents that show the lifestyle of the time and give an insight into the socio-cultural context in which Gaudí operated at the beginning of his career.

Temporary exhibitions are designed to explore specific themes related to the movements and artists that influenced the design of the house or other works created during the same period.

Follow the recommended itineraries to get your fill of historical and cultural information, or wander freely through the spaces of the house and the garden, letting yourself be captivated by the grandeur of this work.

Admission tickets for Casa Vicens

Admission tickets to Casa Vicens can be purchased online or at the museum ticket offices until one hour before closing time. For a few euros extra, you can participate in a guided tour led by the museum staff.

Discounted tickets are available for children aged 7 to 18, students under 25, the elderly, the disabled and members of large families. Children under 7 years of age get in for free.

Skip-the-line ticket for Casa Vicens

We recommend that you purchase your ticket to Casa Vicens a few days in advance, to guarantee your access and to avoid queuing at the ticket office, by clicking on the box below.

Tickets + guided tour of Casa Vicens

For a complete visit of Casa Vicens you can take part in a guided tour: for a little more money a guide will accompany you during the tour of the Casa. Skip-the-line tickets are included with all tours.

Combined tickets

If in addition to the Casa Vicens you would like to visit Gaudi’s other works such as La Pedrera or Casa Batlló, or perhaps a visit to the IDEAL Centre d’Arts Digitals, or other attractions in the city, choose a combination ticket: you could save money compared to buying individual tickets for each attraction.

Opening Hours

Casa Vicens is open every day from morning until evening, with the exception of a few holidays (Christmas, New Year and 6th January). Visitors are invited to leave 10-15 minutes before the museum closes.

Inside Casa Vicens, a modern museum, numerous services are available for the comfort of visitors, including a cafeteria, wifi, bookshop and souvenir shop, cloakroom, lockers, and pram parking.

How to get to Casa Vicens

Casa Vicens is located in Gracia, a neighbourhood close to the Eixample, less than 300 metres from two metro stops L3: Fontana and Lesseps. The area is also served by numerous local buses, FGC trains and some Hop On Hop Off tourist buses.

Those arriving by car can find four convenient pay car parks around the museum.

History of Casa Vicens

Casa Vicens is the first major private commission entrusted to the architect Antonio Gaudí, who was 31 years old at the time. With this experience, the young architect planted the seeds that would later lead to his internationally renowned works, including the Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, Casa Batlló and the Pedrera.

The commission came in 1883 from the wealthy stockbroker Manel Vicens i Montaner, who wanted a private summer residence in the Gracia district. Gaudí managed to complete the work in just two years. In 1925, the house was enlarged to the design of architect Joan Baptista Serra de Martínez.

Used for more than a hundred years as a private home, Casa Vicens was bought by a bank in 2014, which transformed it into a museum with a massive investment and major renovation work directed by architects José Antonio Martínez Lapeña and Elías Torres.

In 2017, Casa Vicens was finally opened to the public.