Museu del Cinema-Col·lecció Tomàs Mallol

Do you know how the magic of the screen was born? The Cinema Museum — Tomàs Mallol Collection is a unique cultural space in the city of Girona that opens up the fascinating world of pre-cinema history to its guests. As the first museum of its kind in Spain, it is rightfully considered one of the most significant collections of cinematic artifacts in Europe.

Museum of Cinema – Tomàs Mallol Collection. Иллюстрация. Источник: Kupi.com AI

The foundation of the museum is the rich private collection of Catalan director Tomàs Mallol, which he gathered over more than 30 years. It features approximately 20,000 exhibits, including rare film cameras, projectors, shadow theater puppets, and thousands of documents that reveal the secrets of how humanity learned to capture and reproduce movement.

Housed in a historic building in the city center, the museum invites visitors to embark on an exciting journey through time: from early optical toys and "magic lanterns" to the famous projector of the Lumière brothers. This place will be equally interesting for professional film researchers and families with children who wish to see for themselves where the era of great cinema began.

To confirm current information about exhibitions or to organize group tours, you can contact the museum administration directly. The institution actively interacts with visitors through its official website and by phone, providing all the necessary details for a comfortable visit.

Below are the detailed contact details and the location of the museum:

Visiting the museum is, above all, an opportunity to trace the evolution of visual arts in detail. You can see unique devices such as "magic lanterns" and praxinoscopes, as well as get acquainted with a collection of Chinese shadow puppets. Guests are invariably fascinated by the original Lumière brothers' projector, which marked the beginning of the modern film industry.

For those who prefer active participation, the museum offers interactive educational programs. You can see ancient mechanisms in action and understand the principles of creating optical illusions. In addition to the permanent exhibition, there are regular temporary thematic exhibitions dedicated to great directors or specific eras of technological development.

Don't forget to stop by the museum shop, where you can buy rare books on film history, stylish posters, and unusual souvenirs that will serve as a great reminder of your visit. For researchers, there is also access to a specialized library and video library containing hundreds of valuable publications and films.

The museum is located in the heart of the historic city center at Carrer de la Sèquia, 1, in close proximity to the picturesque Onyar River. If you are already walking through the old town, the walk from the cathedral or the Jewish Quarter will take no more than 5–10 minutes at a leisurely pace.

For travelers arriving from Barcelona, it is most convenient to take the Renfe train to Girona station, a journey that takes about an hour. From the railway station, you can reach the museum by taxi in 10 minutes, take a local bus, or enjoy a 25-minute walk, which allows you to appreciate the city's architecture.

For those who prefer a private car, there are parking lots available in the city center, although you should keep in mind that many streets around the museum are pedestrian-only. The best option is to leave your car at the nearest parking lot and continue on foot, following the signs or navigation maps.

The Cinema Museum owes its existence to the enthusiasm and years of work of the Catalan director Tomàs Mallol i Dulofeu. Over thirty years, he painstakingly collected rare artifacts, traveling through Spain and France to preserve the history of visual art for future generations.

The official opening of the museum took place on April 8, 1998, when Mallol donated his priceless collection to the city. This event turned Girona into an important point on the cultural map of Europe, as the museum became the country's first specialized space entirely dedicated to the prehistory and development of cinematography.

The exhibition clearly demonstrates the evolution of the human desire to bring images to life: from ancient Chinese shadow puppets to the sophisticated mechanisms of the Lumière brothers' era. The collection is considered one of the most significant in the world in terms of the number and preservation of devices created even before cinema became a mass entertainment.

Today, the museum is not just a repository of objects but an active research center. It combines a library, an archive, and an actors' club, continuing the traditions of its founder and maintaining a lively interest in the magic of moving pictures among researchers and film lovers from all over the world.

To explore all levels of the exhibition in detail and immerse yourself in the history of cinematography, the average visitor will need about 1.5–2 hours. This is quite enough time to slowly inspect the main collection and get acquainted with the operation of ancient mechanisms.

If you plan to visit temporary exhibitions, stop by the gift shop for unique souvenirs, or participate in one of the educational programs, you should set aside an additional hour for your visit. The museum encourages thoughtful study, so film history buffs might find it interesting to spend half a day here.

The museum welcomes visitors throughout the week, except on Mondays. The opening hours are designed so that visitors can comfortably explore the exhibition during the day, but please note the reduced schedule on Sundays.

The current opening schedule is as follows:

• Tuesday — Saturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Sunday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Monday: Closed

Please keep in mind that opening hours may change on public holidays, so it is recommended to check the information on the official website before your visit.

The museum's convenient location in the historic part of the city allows tourists to easily combine a visit to the exhibition with a tour of other iconic sites. A walk through the surrounding area will reveal ancient walls, majestic temples, and cozy squares that preserve the atmosphere of medieval Catalonia.

Exploring nearby attractions will help you gain a deeper understanding of the region's cultural context and make your city route as rich and interesting as possible.