In February 2026, I traveled to visit a friend in Girona, Spain. Not far away is Figueres (also spelled Figueras), the town where Salvador Dalí was both born and died. It’s also home to his life’s masterpiece: the Dalí Theatre-Museum.
An Old Theater Turned Surreal Landmark in Figueres
What was once a ruined theater was transformed by Dalí into a monument to his surrealist creativity, and it’s also where he chose to be buried.
The building immediately catches your eye from the surrounding streets thanks to its unusual structure. It almost looks like a cartoon castle. Painted bright red and topped with towers, the museum is covered with traditional Catalan bread shapes (although at first I thought they were roasted chickens!) and crowned with enormous eggs.
Around the building, classical statues sit atop stacks of tires, adding another layer of playful absurdity. The front of the theater still preserves part of its original architectural style, but it’s now decorated with various figures. One of the most striking is a deep-sea diver standing at the entrance, inviting visitors to dive into Dalí’s imagination.
Why You Should Take A Guided Tour
The museum is fascinating, and sometimes completely baffling. That’s why I strongly recommend booking a guided tour.
Yes, it’s a bit pricey, but it’s absolutely worth it. Without a guide, you might miss many of the hidden meanings and details that make the experience so rich. The guided tour lasts about an hour, and afterward you’re free to stay and explore the museum on your own.
Dalí intentionally designed the museum like a labyrinth, filled with strange installations and surprising perspectives so visitors would feel a little lost. His idea was that people would come back multiple times to fully understand everything. If you don’t expect to return anytime soon, a guide can really help you navigate the twists and turns of Dalí’s surreal world.
Dalí Was Definitely Not A Minimalist
Inside, every space is packed. Statues, paintings, and unexpected installations fill the rooms. There’s even a suspended boat and a car displayed in the center of the theater, directly facing the entrance.
Each artwork has its own story and hidden details. Sometimes one image reveals another if you squint or look at it from a different angle. For example, a pixelated portrait of Gala also forms an image of Abraham Lincoln. A living room arrangement becomes the portrait of a woman. And statues of Venus transform into the shape of a bullfighter.
For this extraordinary place, Dalí sometimes recreated works he had previously sold elsewhere. In some cases, he even reimagined them in new forms, such as a tapestry created with the help of the artists from Aubusson.
This visit helped me truly appreciate Dalí’s work.
I loved this experience, which also included another gallery displaying jewelry designed by Dalí. Our guide was fantastic and made it possible to fully understand and enjoy the place. In Figueres, you can also visit Dalí’s birthplace, but I made the choice to visit the Castell de Sant Ferran instead during this trip.
To see more photos of Spain, you can visit the gallery Spain.
