The upcoming weekend brings a double dose of surprise: a few days of good weather and warmth are approaching, and there’s also a long weekend ahead. Next Monday, May 1st, is International Workers’ Day, more commonly known as Labor Day. And in other regions and provinces, this holiday doesn’t come alone; other local celebrations accompany this weekend, and some parts of Spain have up to 4 consecutive days off. Whether you’re going to enjoy 3 days off or 4, today we suggest a tour of some of the most original museums in our country.
Everyone knows the traditional museums, we could say, the most popular ones in our country. Those with paintings by artists like Velázquez, Picasso, Gauguin, Matisse, or Monet. And of course, they are a must-visit at some point in our lives, a type of culture that also needs to be passed down through generations to keep us rich in knowledge. But it’s also good to alternate these visits with others that are more experiential, immersive, and interactive, where the spotlight isn’t on others, but on each of the visitors present. This is a new category of museum that is gaining more strength over time and sparking greater public interest: experience museums.
There are several museums of this type spread across Spain, and they are an ideal option for those traveling outside their city these days or simply looking to do something different on a weekend. Here we present some of them so you can choose the type of experience you like best and note it down to visit during this upcoming holiday or any other time. Plus, all of them are suitable for both children and adults, so the whole family can participate. Note, for some of them we recommend you hurry, as they are temporary and will be open to the public for a limited time. Let’s start the journey!
1.- Pop Air Balloon Museum, the museum you fell in love with in ‘Emily in Paris’
This is one of those museums that will only be open for a few weeks. You can visit it until July 23rd at the Puerta del Ángel stage in the Casa de Campo fairgrounds in Madrid. It focuses on inflatable art and has already been successful in cities like Milan, Rome, and Paris. If you’re also a fan of the popular Netflix series “Emily in Paris,” you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.
It features works by 18 international artists and collectives who have interpreted the exhibition’s central theme with the aim of stimulating visitors and inviting them to experience it up close at all times.
2.- Museum of Aromas, to train your sense of smell with 92 different scents
This one in Santa Cruz de Salceda, in the province of Burgos, is the only museum not only in Spain but in Europe (or so its website claims) dedicated to aromas and the sense of smell. The "Museum of Aromas" gathers 92 scents that will make us remember, invite us to enjoy, evoke moments of danger and others of leisure… In short, you’ll find a huge variety of aromas that will make you enjoy, remember, and learn.
3.- Dream Lab Museum, experience fantasy sensations
The first experiential museum in Málaga opened last summer in 2022. There, you can explore themed rooms with different atmospheres, which will surely be the perfect plan to spend a very entertaining time with friends, family, or children. Throughout this tour, its rooms or “Dream rooms” transport us to another dimension where we explore sensations drawn from fantasy, like an adult ball pit or pillow fights.
4.- Museum of Illusions, the eyes see what the brain can’t understand
More than a museum, this space located in central Madrid brings together games, puzzles, and tricks that aim to make us question our own senses while teaching us a lot about vision and perception, how the human brain works, and science. A place that will help us understand why the eyes see things the brain can’t comprehend.
A glimpse of what’s coming
1.- Museum of Dreamers, believe in magic again
After this holiday, on May 6th, Museum of Dreamers arrives at the exhibition area of Espacio Ibercaja Delicias in Madrid. This experience will be open only until July 30th. It comes to Spain after the success it had in Milan at the end of last year and the beginning of this year.
This new project offers a motivating and interactive journey through 16 spaces where the visitor feels like the protagonist of the entire experience. Full of powerful visual impacts, each corner aims to offer new perspectives related to the world of dreams.
At the end of the tour, we reach what they call “Believe in Magic,” where we can discover the emotions of other visitors and share our own.
Have you already chosen which one you’ll visit on your next getaway?
