Last updated September 2022
It is time for me to leave Salamanca for a while and to move onto something new. We are still in Spain but we are going to a different Autonomous Region (from Castile and León to Aragon) and Province (from Salamanca to Zaragoza) to the city of Zaragoza.
Zaragoza is the 5th largest city in Spain so there is really no shortage of things to see and do here. I spent only 2 nights in the city but the Origami Museum was the first place I went to and it was a wonderful first impression.
The Origami Museum is really called EMOZ (Escuela Museo de Origami de Zaragoza). It depends on what you are looking for on your holiday but personally, I like to see things that are a little bit different, something that is a bit unique to a city. For me, the museum was one of the best things I did on my whole trip.
The museum is slightly outside of the historic centre but it is well-worth a visit, if you can squeeze it in. This is the first place I went to after arriving in Zaragoza and I don’t regret it. I was almost positive that I would enjoy visiting it and I was right. However, I was not expecting to also love the building it is housed in: Zaragoza’s Centro de Historias. In the past, it was a monastery but now it is an exhibition space with 4 floors. There are temporary exhibits on the first 3 floors – which are all free to visit – and the museum is on the 4th Floor, but it is called the Second Floor (Segunda Planta) as the first 2 floors are called Basement and Street Levels. You can take the stairs or lift to get there. The stairs and lift are located behind the Security Desk.
I know very little about origami so for me it was very interesting to learn a bit about the history of origami, in general, and more specifically, the history of origami in Spain. Then I was blown away by the skill of the origami on display. There were some pieces by artists from France, Spain and other countries too. Éric Joisel’s works were the most impressive for me, I had never heard of him before but I’m pretty sure that anyone who knows anything about origami knows who he is. His works aren’t technically origami – they are something new, something creative.
It’s definitely something kids would enjoy. And if you look on the website you can try to make the time to go to an origami workshop while you’re there. In addition, the exhibition changes every three months so if I lived in Zaragoza I would definitely go as many times as I could.
The museum and centre both stay open later than most of the other attractions in Zaragoza (until 21:00) so it is a good place to go in the evening, especially if you feel like doing something special the first evening you arrive. Each floor of the building has different exhibits and they are all free so it is possible to spend a few hours here very happily, especially if you decide to stop by the café too. I was lucky that when I was there the exhibits really appealed to me, especially the one about puppets. I didn’t plan on spending so much time here but I’m very glad I did.
Address:
Centro de Historias, Plaza San Agustín, 2, Zaragoza
Note: The Origami Museum is on the 2nd Floor of the centre
Opening times (of the museum and of the centre):
Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 – 14:00 and 17:00 – 21:00
Sunday and Festivals: 10:00 – 14:30
Website:
http://www.emoz.es/language/en/
Social media:
Admission fee:
General ticket: €3
Under 18 and over 65: €2
Note: you buy your ticket on the 2nd Floor, at the museum.
Wi-Fi:
Yes, the password for the museum’s Wi-Fi is written on the wall as you enter the museum.
Toilets:
Yes, there are toilets on each floor of the centre.
Café:
Yes, on the Street Level of the centre.
Can I take photographs?
Yes
Is it somewhere I can go with children?
Yes!
I hope this post will make you consider visiting both the Origami Museum and the centre, Zaragoza’s Centro de Historias, while you are in the city.
Please let me know if you’ve ever been to an origami museum in another country! I’d definitely like to visit another one.
