Salou Museums and Art Galleries

(Salou, Catalonia, Spain)

While there are not many art galleries and museums in Salou, there are several historic homes and other noteworthy sites with public exhibits that are open during daylight hours. The only outright museum is in the Old Tower, but even this keeps a relatively low profile.

The Catalan Farmhouse is both an exhibit and a community centre, so there's plenty to do here outside of perusing exhibits. Finally, the millennium-old olive trees in Salou town centre are a kind of natural history museum unto themselves.

Catalan Farmhouse

Address: Salou, Spain, ES
The Catalan farmhouse was built in 1974 from authentic construction materials taken from much older buildings. It offers a window into the past, recreating scenes from traditional life in the Catalan countryside and including a collection of farm implements and artefacts on display. A handicrafts market convenes here during the summer, while the local stable is used to create a charming nativity scene during the Christmas season.
Open hours: daily - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: free

Old Tower

Address: Calle de L'Arquebisbe Pere de Cardona, Salou, Spain, ES
Tel: +34 0977 383 235
The Old Tower dates to the 1530s, making it one of Salou's more ancient edifices. The outside features Pere de Cardona's coat of arms and a few other features that originate from as far back as the 16th century. The interior has been updated and now hosts the Contemporary Enamel Art Museum. Be sure to stroll through the garden, with its 'Dance of the Graces' sculpture exhibit.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 18:00
Admission: free

Bonet House (Xalet Bonet / Xalet Voramar)

Address: Salou, Spain, ES
This house is nearly a century old and is a splendid example of the sort of Art Nouveau architecture early 20th-century masters were producing in Spain. One of Gaudi's students, Domènec Sugranyes i Gras, designed and constructed this stylish Art Nouveau building. Each room is richly decorated with murals depicting historical scenes. The architect's philosophy is engraved on a ceramic sundial in the garden - 'take advantage of the time that passes and never returns'.
Open hours: daily - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: free

Monumental Olive Trees (Passeig de la Segregació)

Address: Passeig de la Segregació, Salou, Spain, ES
An unlikely natural history exhibit, the Monumental Olive Trees stands outdoors on the Passeig de la Segregació. This collection of trees was transplanted in the late 1980s to commemorate Salou's induction as a municipality. Brought in from a site in Maestrat, these 16 ancient trees are estimated to be around 1,000 years old and exhibit huge characterful trunks and butresses.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 19:00
Admission: free