The Artful Architecture 

Founded in 1982, the original Dali Museum was architecturally unremarkable. That changed in 2011 when it was torn down and redesigned by architect Yann Weymouth of HOK, whose goal was to create a building worthy of the artwork it houses while also protecting it from natural disasters. 

Combining the rational with the fantastical, today the Dali is a cultural landmark—a seemingly simple rectangular structure sporting 18-inch-thick, hurricane-proof walls out of which erupts a large free-form geodesic glass bubble known as the “enigma”. The “enigma” comprises 1,062 glass triangles and pays homage to the dome that adorns Dali’s museum in Spain. Inside, the Dali houses another unique architectural feature—a helical staircase—recalling Dali’s obsession with spirals and the double-helical shape of the DNA molecule.

The Galleries

There’s is so much art at the Dalí Museum it will make your mustache stand on end. How much art? We’re talking about nearly 300 oil paintings, watercolors, and drawings as well as more than 2,100 prints, photographs, posters, textiles, sculptures, and objet d’art across more than 60,000 sq. ft. 

The Dalí Museum owns eight Dalí Masterworks, the largest assembly of Masterworks of any institution in the world. Coined by Dalí Museum founder A. Reynolds Morse, the term “masterworks” applies to paintings exceeding five feet in height or width, painted over a year or longer. 

While every item in the collection is worth examining, highlights include The Basket of Bread (1926), Girl with Curls (1926), Daddy Longlegs of the Evening-Hope! (1940), The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory (1952-54), and many others. 

Talk about an ambitious collection! And in the words of the great artist himself, “Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.”

A Taste of Spain 

Dalí was born in Figueres, Catalonia, so the museum’s cafe serves up exquisite Spanish food to honor his roots. According to its site, “Café Gala introduces visitors to Spanish food and history. Whimsically named in honor of Dalí’s wife Gala, who never cooked, the casual eatery has embraced Salvador Dalí’s heritage by presenting a menu of light fare with an authentic Spanish theme.”

Do you prefer looking at art in the early hours? No worries! The Cafe serves local Kahwa roasted coffees, including espresso, cappuccino, and macchiato. Further, you can pair your caffeine with a delicious Spanish pastry — try the mantecados (Spanish cookies). 

And for art lovers over the age of 21, the Café’s signature Cava Rosado (Spanish sparkling rosé champagne) is a delightful boozy option.