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Barcelona FC Tour: Guide To The Barcelona FC Football Stadium and Museum Tour
Each year thousands of football fans from all over the world flock to Camp Nou – the home of Barcelona FC. With the stadium’s capacity of almost 100,000 people, the grounds are a Mecca for football fans around the world. I visited the stadium on a normal Thursday afternoon in February to find out all about the now infamous Barcelona FC Stadium and Museum Tour. This tour is the most popular of all tours in Barcelona. There was no match taking place on the day that I visited, but still crowds of fans were at the stadium, paying their respects to the ‘shrine to football’ in Barcelona. It´s true to say that Camp Nou is more than just a stadium, just as Barcelona FC is said to be ‘more than just a club’. Reserve your Barcelona FC stadium tour tickets in advance online with Spainbookers.com An Overview of the Tour of Barcelona FC’s Stadium and MuseumWhat I realised after taking the Barcelona FC stadium tour was that you get a real feel for what it must be like behind the scenes of Barcelona FC. You can see exactly what is would be like from the players and managers point of view which adds a whole new dimension to your experience when watching a match or interview. The Barcelona FC Tour Plus is the ticket that the real football fans will be most interested in on coming to the stadium – the one that allows access to the ‘behind the scenes’ action at the club as well as access to the FC museum.. The tour is ‘self-guided’, meaning that there are no tour guides. Rather, you will be guided through the museum by bright yellow barriers, ensuring that you go the right way around the tour. Security guards/attendants are dotted along the route and can direct you if necessary, however they are unable to answer fact-based questions about what is on show. Information about the tour is provided on boards along the route. These are small and provide basic information only and a true fooball fan may find a little superficial. However if you want to gain a more in-depth knowledge of everything on the tour, audio-guides are available and I recommend you get one of these. These can be purchased at the start desk of the tour. For more details on the Audio-Guides, please see below. Stops on the Tour Plus – Self-Guided Tour of Barcelona FC’s stadium:
There is a 3D show at the start of the FC Stadium tour. This is most likely to appeal to children, who will be excited by the 3D effects. Presumably, to appeal to all nationalities, no words are provided. It is intended to give you a sense of what it is like to be on the pitch during the match – images of famous football matches are shown in this 3D show.
Here you have an opportunity to walk around the stadium’s away team changing room facilities. You may be surprised at how basic they are. I think the idea might be not to give the away team too many advantages! I would like to have been able to see the changing rooms of the home team. According to the audio-guide these are far more impressive, including a meeting room, a spa, a treatment room and a pharmacy.
This was inaugurated in 1958 and blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1982. A last minute chance for the players to say a prayer or two.
Walking up the tunnel gives you a rush of excitement. It is a great opportunity to feel how the players feel as they run up onto the pitch before a big game with 100, 000 roaring fans at the end of the tunnel. Of course the stadium is empty on the day but with a little imagination you are there.
If you are like me then this may be considered to be the most exciting part of the tour. This is the closest that you will get to the pitch itself – as if in the shoes of the team managers. Unaware of how impressive this would be, I was wowed by the 105 by 68 metre pitch and the 48 metre high stands. Imagine this filled with 100,000 passionate fans and you have an awesome back-scene perspective to a match at Barcelona FC from the eyes of the team leaders.
This area seats 120 journalists. It is where press conferences happen before and after matches. Two players face the press after each match, chosen in relation to what has happened in their lives both on and off the pitch.
The site of those interview moments that you’ve seen a thousand times on the sports news. “Well, Alan, I think we played a very good game…”. Here you will recognise the blue background and the sponsor’s logos. It is a great buzz to see it in the flesh.
The area where sponsors mingle in comfort before and after the match.
A piece of art produced by the artist Miró in honour of Barcelona FC .
This was awarded to the stadium in 1999 for its facilities. Similar to a 5 star hotel rating, but for the sporting world.
This plaque displays the names of all of the Presidents of the club, from its beginnings to the present day.
This is a great opportunity to get the best views of the pitch. This is the area of the stadium where the President sits with his guests of honour. What a great opportunity to feel like the club president or Victoria Beckham!
These 29 cabins sit 35 metres above the playing field. They are where the commentators broadcast from a match. Whilst there you can really picture the commentators discussing the game or going crazy when a goal is scored.
For more information on what is available at the museum please see below:Review of Museum. It is worth noting that the tour of the stadium, minus the museum is very comprehensive and could take a couple of hours. If you plan on doing a thorough visit of the museum as well you may want to bring a snack for energy! Review of Audio-Guide
You can purchase the audio-guide at the entrance to the Barcelona FC Tour Plus. The audio guide consists of a small pack that can be hung around your neck and one earpiece that is hooked around your ear. The tour is controlled in the same way that you can control a CD Walkman – each stop of the tour has a number that correlates to a number on the audio-guide. It is your job to press play and scroll to the number of your choice when you reach that correct location. It is also possible to listen to each section as many times as you choose to. This is useful if there is information that you have missed and would like to hear again.
I found the audio-guide to be a welcome addition to the trip. It helped to put into context what I was seeing at each stop. It also provides you with greater detail than what is available on the information boards. Price: 3 euros Languages: Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian, German and Dutch. Review of Museum It is possible for you to buy a ticket that just covers the Museum part of the tour for a cheaper price. The Museum is split into three sections:
This is the largest part of the museum. It leads you on a chronological journey through the history of the club, starting with its birth in 1899.
If you are more interested in cups than history, you won’t be disappointed! Cabinets crammed with all of the club’s major achievements are on show here
The all-important Champions League Cup is also there. It can even be touched, for a price! There is a photograph opportunity in the museum, where you and your friends can hold the cup aloft for a photograph. This will cost 13 euros and can be purchased at the exit to the museum. If you don’t want the photograph, you are not obliged to buy it. So, there’s nothing stopping you from getting up close and personal to the Champions League Cup, even if you don’t have a spare 13 euros in your back pocket!
This section is slightly more vague. It houses much memorabilia to do with sport – everything from old table football tables to football memorabilia and artworks.
This section of the museum constantly changes. On my visit there was an exhibition about Joan Gamper – the man who founded Barcelona FC. Overall, the museum is very visual. I felt that a careful balance had been struck to ensure that information is provided without an overload. It covers all aspects of the club in detail and follows a logical order. It is possible to purchase a Guide that coincides with the Museum. This costs 2 euros and can be purchased from the Ticket Booths at Access 9. How to Purchase Tickets for the Barcelona FC Museum and Tour PlusPurchasing FC Tour Tickets Online: Tickets can be purchased most easily online. I purchased my Barcelona FC tour online through Spainbookers Barcelona FC Stadium and Museum Tour. Ticket Office to Purchase Tickets for Tours of Barcelona FC Football Stadium:
Opening Hours for Access 9: The Museum Tour and Tour Plus of Barcelona FC’s football stadium will satisfy football lovers from all over the world. The Tour Plus allows some real ‘behind the scenes’ action – you can really see what happens during the matches. The Museum Tour is concise, entertaining and will appeal to a wide range of fans of all ages. On my visit it was easy to see why Camp Nou is one of Barcelona’s number one tourist attractions and a must visit for any serious football fan visiting Barcelona. If you are interested in attending a Football match at Barcelona FC and would like to find out how to puchase your tickets in advance of your trip see our article on How to purchase Barcelona FC match tickets. Related PagesA Guide to the History of the FC Club
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