Museum of Ideas and Inventions (MIBA)

The Museum of Ideas and Inventions, MIBA, whose official name in Catalan is Museu d’Idees e Invents, is one of the most original, interesting and fun museums in Barcelona, which makes it an ideal place to go with children. In spite of being located on a narrow street that isn’t frequented by many people, its central location and its novel theme has given it a place amongst the most striking museums for people who live in Barcelona and for visitors, with the help of a little word of mouth recommendation.

Information about the Museum of Ideas and Inventions

The Museum of Ideas and Inventions is a special kind of museum, and this is evident from the moment you enter it. An example of this are the large scales on the street itself, which attract the attention of everyone who walks past. If you weight yourself on them, they will show your weight, comparing it to that of several well-known people. When you walk through the door you will continue to see that the MIBA is a different kind of museum, as there are various informative signs which actually encourage all visitors to take photos, which is of course something that is often prohibited in other museums.

Another element of the Museum of Ideas and Inventions that attracts attention is that on its ground floor some of the collection’s inventions are exhibited free of charge, which serves to attract first-time visitors who might be more sceptical about visiting the museum. On the same floor, and before getting to the ticket office, you’ll find a Force One Hurricane Simulator, inside which you’ll experience winds of 127 km/h, which is without doubt worth a visit.

The collection

A part of the MIBA’s collection, which is divided up throughout the building’s two floors and which has a huge amount of exhibits, is being renovated. The inventions are categorized into three spaces: Unlimited Society, Reflectionarium and the Corner of the Absurd. You’ll probably feel that some of the inventions are in fact quite useless, whereas some are funny and others are very interesting, whose use could make day-to-day tasks much easier. What can’t be doubted is that all of them are reflections of the ingenuity of their inventors.

The information about the inventions that are exhibited is shown in Spanish, Catalan and English, and in the majority of cases it’s accompanied by a digital display containing a video of the invention in action, something that is very eye-catching and educational, in order to see better how it works and whether you think it’s useful or not.

Inventions that have made money

No doubt in order to encourage you to discover your hidden inventive abilities, the Reflectionarium area shows all the inventions that have made money for their inventors.