Barcelona’s wax museum reopens after a year of renovations

Barcelona’s wax museum reopened on Friday, following a year of renovations. The hope is to rejuvenate the atmosphere of the center, with 120 new figures.

Now only 30% of the original collection remains, and even these have been altered to look more lifelike. 

“The museum was decaying because there were no new characters,” commented Toni Cruz, a famous Catalan singer and TV producer, who invested six million euros into the reinvigoration, which was led by Advanced Leisure Services (ALS). 

Indeed, the museum was sold off last year partially due to the fall in visitors.

Celebrities, gorillas, and more!

Great heroes of our times, a doctor and health worker, open the doors to the new museum; an homage to their work during the pandemic.

Catalan icons such as the singer Rosalía, the Roca brothers, and owners of the renowned Girona restaurant “El Celler de Can Roca” are some of the new figures.

International legends have also made an exodus to the Catalan capital, and you will be able to see big names such as Rihanna, Adele, and Leonardo DiCaprio, amongst many others.

One of the themed rooms centers itself around painters and artists; a great opportunity to finally come face to face with the greats of the likes of Dalí, Kahlo, and Picasso.

However, the museum is not limited to human beings. Floquet de Neu, or Snowflake in English, a beloved albino gorilla, who once resided in the Barcelona Zoo, graces the museum’s jungle-inspired room.

Technological advances

The waxworks are not the only part of the experience, which has been renewed. There has been an update in the museum's technology, making the visit an all-encompassing 4D experience. 

Visitors will be able to enter a ‘submarine’, where they will be able to observe the degradation of the ocean, whilst Greta Thunberg, the youth climate activist,  warns that “THERE IS NO PLANET B”. 

A 360-degree birds-eye view of the Rambla and a trip to a space station to watch the Earth from above are some of the other trips that guests will be able to take all whilst remaining in the comfort of the Barcelona Wax Museum. 

Reviving the museum

Ultimately, Cruz hopes that these changes will bring the younger generation back to the museum. 

He believes that this is an opportunity to transform the Rambla into a “space for the use of citizens”, described Cruz, rather than a spot for tourists.