
Follow the master of Surrealism from Catalonia to the world
Salvador Dalí was equal parts genius and showman, creating some of the 20th century's most recognizable images while cultivating his eccentric persona. Born in Figueres, Catalonia, he conquered Paris with the Surrealists, scandalized and seduced New York, and returned to create a theatre-museum dedicated to his own legend. His trademark melting clocks, elephants on spider legs, and meticulous technique made dreams tangible.
Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí was born here on May 11, 1904. After conquering the art world, he returned to transform the municipal theater into the Dalí Theatre-Museum, a Surrealist experience that is itself his largest artwork. He lived in the tower until his death and is buried in the crypt beneath the stage.
Why it matters: The Theatre-Museum is Dalí's ultimate self-portrait, a building as surreal as his paintings. He called it 'the largest surrealist object in the world.' His grave lies beneath the geodesic dome.
Dalí's greatest work: a former theater transformed into a surrealist experience. Contains the world's largest Dalí collection, including Mae West lips sofa, the rainy taxi, and hundreds of paintings and objects.
Plaça Gala i Salvador Dalí, 5
Book online to avoid long queues. Night visits available in summer. His crypt is in the basement.
Get ticketsThe apartment building where Dalí was born, marked by a plaque
Carrer Monturiol, 6
Where Dalí was baptized; visible from the museum's geodesic dome
Adjacent to the Theatre-Museum, houses Dalí's fantastical jewelry designs including the famous ruby heart that beats
In this whitewashed fishing village, Dalí bought a small fisherman's hut for his muse and wife Gala. Over decades, they expanded it into a labyrinthine home filled with surrealist objects. The dramatic landscape of Cap de Creus, with its wind-eroded rocks, appears in countless paintings. This was his creative sanctuary.
Why it matters: Port Lligat's landscape is the setting for The Persistence of Memory and many masterworks. The melting clocks drape over rocks from this very coastline. This is where Dalí did his serious work, away from his public persona.
Dalí and Gala's home, a maze of fishermen's huts joined together. Contains his studio, stuffed animals, the swimming pool with Pirelli lips sofa, and surrealist gardens.
Port Lligat
Small groups only; advance booking essential. 20-minute walk from Cadaqués or taxi.
Get ticketsThe eroded rocks and dramatic coastline that appear in Dalí's paintings. Hike to see the landscape that shaped his vision.
The charming white village that attracted Picasso, Duchamp, and García Lorca. Walk its narrow streets and understand why artists came here.
At the Residencia de Estudiantes, Dalí met poet Federico García Lorca and filmmaker Luis Buñuel, forming friendships that shaped Spanish culture. He was expelled from art school twice, the second time for declaring no professor qualified to examine him. His technical mastery and growing confidence were evident, though Surrealism had not yet arrived.
Why it matters: Madrid introduced Dalí to modernism and the avant-garde. His friendship with Lorca may have been a romance; their influence on each other was profound. The Residencia was Spain's intellectual crucible.
The famous student residence where Dalí, Lorca, and Buñuel lived and collaborated. Now a cultural center with exhibitions.
Calle del Pinar, 21
Get ticketsThe art school Dalí attended and was expelled from twice
Dalí arrived in Paris and was welcomed by André Breton's Surrealist circle. He created Un Chien Andalou with Buñuel, met his future wife Gala (then married to poet Paul Éluard), and produced his most iconic works. His obsessive imagery and showmanship thrilled some Surrealists and appalled others. Breton eventually expelled him for political reasons.
Why it matters: Paris made Dalí an international star. The Surrealists gave him a theoretical framework, but his talent exceeded their dogma. The paranoiac-critical method he developed here remained his technique forever.
Over 300 Dalí works focusing on sculptures and graphics
11 Rue Poulbot, Montmartre
Get ticketsWhere Surrealists gathered; Dalí held court here
172 Boulevard Saint-Germain
Dalí's Paris residence for decades; he kept an ocelot as a pet and once filled a swimming pool with newspapers
228 Rue de Rivoli
Fleeing World War II, Dalí and Gala spent eight years in America. He designed for Vogue, created dream sequences for Hitchcock's Spellbound, collaborated with Disney on Destino, and relentlessly promoted himself. His commercial work and showmanship led Breton to anagram his name as 'Avida Dollars.' New York embraced the spectacle.
Why it matters: America made Dalí rich and famous beyond the art world. His window displays for Bonwit Teller, advertisements, and society portraits brought Surrealism into popular culture.
Houses The Persistence of Memory, Dalí's most famous painting
11 West 53rd Street
The Persistence of Memory is in Gallery 517. One of MoMA's most visited works.
Get ticketsWhere Dalí stayed for decades on his New York visits; he once led an anteater through the lobby
2 East 55th Street
Private gallery with Dalí graphics, sculptures, and original works
119 Wooster Street, SoHo
The three Dalí museums in Catalonia: Figueres, Port Lligat, and Púbol Castle
Madrid's Dalí works plus the full Catalonia experience
From Spain to Paris to New York, following Dalí's conquest of the world
Dalí was prolific and promoted himself relentlessly. His work fills museums worldwide:
Figueres, Spain
The world's largest Dalí collection in his ultimate artwork
St. Petersburg, FL, USA
Comprehensive collection spanning his entire career
Madrid, Spain
New York, USA
Houses The Persistence of Memory
Port Lligat, Spain
His home and studio where he created most major works
Born in Figueres, Catalonia on May 11
Enrolls at Real Academia in Madrid; meets Lorca and Buñuel
Joins Surrealists in Paris; meets Gala
Paints The Persistence of Memory
Marries Gala
Creates Lobster Telephone and Mae West Lips Sofa
Flees to America during WWII
Returns to live in Port Lligat
Opens Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres
Gala dies; Dalí moves to Púbol Castle, then Figueres
Dies in Figueres on January 23, aged 84
Browse our database of Salvador Dalí's paintings and discover where each masterpiece is displayed today.