Dalí Theatre and Museum Entrance

The heart of the museum is the town's theatre that Dalí knew as a child. It was where one of the first public exhibitions of young Dalí's art was shown. The old theatre was burned during the Spanish Civil War and remained in a state of ruin. In 1960, Dalí and the mayor of Figueres decided to rebuild it as a museum dedicated to the town's most famous son.[2]: 4  In 1968, the city council approved the plan, and construction began the following year.[2]: 4  The architects were Joaquim de Ros i Ramis and Alexandre Bonaterra.[3]: 152  The museum opened on September 28, 1974,[2]: 4 [4] and it expanded through the mid-1980s. The museum now includes buildings and courtyards adjacent to the old theatre.