The Railway Museum of Vilanova i la Geltrú offers visitors of all ages a train journey that takes them through the past, present and future in a pleasant and informative way. Visitors are able to take an active part in the experience. The museum offers many opportunities for learning and having fun, including the biggest collection of steam engines in Europe, all in the midst of a wonderful setting, and a collection of 19th century railway installations for maintaining and repairing steam engines (from the former engine sheds of Vilanova i la Geltrú) that includes: the revolving bridge (one of the biggest in Spain), the water deposits used for supplying the engines, and a magnificent turntable of great architectural value.

The museum has two main objectives: To conserve the country's industrial heritage and to diffuse information on the social and economic impact of the train. This means that it is constantly developing and increasing its exhibits as railways become more modern.

The exhibits are complemented by a fantastic multivision documentary: “Catch the train to history” (brought up to date in 1998) which has won several international prizes. This film helps us to get to know the development of the train from the 19th to the 21st century. The permanent and temporary exhibitions include model railways and technical details of railway infrastructure, such as the old signal box from the França Railway Station in Barcelona, historical photography and station objects and tools, such as clocks, railwaymen's caps, point changes...

Contents: The largest collection of steam engines in Europe and electric and diesel engines and railway equipment covering the full history of the train. There is an outstanding multivision documentary on the history of the railways, and an excellent section on the 21st century.


Museum services:

· Shop and bookshop on railway-related themes.

· Play area for small children.

· Outdoor terrace with vending machines offering hot and cold drinks.

· Winter opening hours: Tuesdays-Sundays, 10.30 a.m. - 2.30 p.m. except Saturdays, 10.30 a.m.- 2.30 p.m - 4 p.m. - 6.30 p.m.

· Summer opening hours ( August): Mondays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.


Museu del Ferrocarril
P. d'Eduard Maristany, s/n
Tel.: 00 34 938 158 491
Fax: 00 34 938 158 220
E-mail:museuferrocaril@ffe.es
http://www.museudelferrocarril.org

Av. Víctor Balaguer, s/n · 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú
Tel. 93 815 42 02 · Fax 93 815 36 84
informacio@victorbalaguer.cat
www.victorbalaguer.cat

Opening hours

Morning
Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 2pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11am – 2 pm
Evening
Tuesday – Saturday: 5pm- 7pm
Thursday: 7pm – 9pm

Closed on Monday

Founded in 1884 by Víctor Balaguer, a Catalan politician and writer, the Biblioteca Museu Víctor Balaguer is one of Catalonia’s oldest and most singular museums. The building keeps almost all the original decoration and collections, so the visitor is able to know how the museum was like in the 19th century.

Located on the ground floor, Mr Balaguer’s legacy consists of a collection of books and works of art that the founder collected during all his life: paintings, sculptures, ceramic and glass pieces, and ethnographic items from faraway cultures, as well as a relevant collection of paintings coming from the Museo del Prado. This collection has been improved over the years.

The building was specifically conceived as a library and a museum, which was unusual in those days, so it became one of the first museums in Catalonia to be built with that purpose. The architecture includes historical neo-Egyptian and neo-Greek ornamental elements, distinctive details of the public architecture in Catalonia at the end of the 19th century.

Its galleries include works of some of the main Catalan painters such as Ramon Martí Alsina, Santiago Rusiñol, Ramon Casas, Isidre Nonell, Joaquim Mir, and Xavier Nogués, among others, which show an exceptional trajectory through the different artistic movements of the beginning of the 20th century, from Romanticism to Noucentisme. The important legacy in 20th-century painting and sculpture also stands out, with a relevant section of Informalist art.

The painting section is completed with a permanent exhibition of approximately 30 oil paintings of the Spanish and European Baroque period, which come from the historical collection of the Museo del Prado. This section includes works from El Greco, Ribera, Goya, Rubens or Van Dyck.

Decorative arts are represented by the crystal and ceramic collections; the latter contains pieces starting from the Gothic period and up to the 19th century.

Amongst the ethnographic collections, there are articles from the Philippines, Egypt, China, and Japan, and there is also an exhibition of pre-Columbian art. All these collections are the result of the so common 19th-century interest for other cultures and Mr Balaguer’s political career as an Overseas Minister. The Egyptian collection is very important: it was the first one in Catalonia and includes a child’s mummy (one of the five mummies nowadays kept in Catalan museums).

The important artistic collection of the 19th century has enabled the Museu Balaguer to become a section of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. Moreover, the Biblioteca Balaguer, with its patrimonial bibliographic collection, is related to the Biblioteca de Catalunya.

19th century mansion converted to a museum. The visit becomes a journey through time into the everyday life of a well-to-do family of the 19th century.

Contents: 19th century mansion converted to a museum. The visit becomes a journey through time into the everyday life of a well-to-do family of the th century.


Opening hours:

Friday and saturday: 10am-1pm 4pm-6pm

Sunday: 10am-2pm

Museu Romàntic Can Papiol
c. Major, 32
Tel.: 00 34 938 930 382
Fax: 00 34 938 142 498
E-mail: museupapiol@vilanova.cat
http://www.vilanova.cat