Museums in Madrid

Our selection of the 15 best museums to explore in Madrid

Velázquez, Goya, Picasso, Sorolla: Madrid concentrates a good part of Spain's artistic treasures, around an “art triangle” that could fill a whole stay. Here are the museums to put on your list.

Prado Museum

Opened in 1819 in a neoclassical building, the Prado Museum brings together the great masters of Spanish and European painting: Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's black paintings, Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights.

The rooms are numerous and it is easy to get lost. A guided tour or an audio guide helps you focus on the essentials, and a skip-the-line ticket avoids the morning queue.

• Address: Paseo del Prado, 28014 Madrid
• Metro: Banco de España (line 2)

Reina Sofía Museum

Housed in a former 18th-century hospital flanked by glass lifts, the Reina Sofía is devoted to modern and contemporary art. It holds Picasso's Guernica, painted in 1937.

Dalí, Miró and the Spanish avant-gardes complete the tour. The museum stands next to Atocha station, about ten minutes' walk from the Prado.

• Address: Calle de Santa Isabel 52, 28012 Madrid
• Metro: Estación del Arte (line 1)

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Third point of the art triangle, the Thyssen Museum occupies the Villahermosa Palace. Its collection, assembled by the Thyssen-Bornemisza family and acquired by the Spanish state in 1993, runs from the Italian Primitives to pop art.

Impressionists, German Expressionists and American painters fill the gaps left by the Prado. A good complement for an overview of the history of painting.

• Address: Paseo del Prado 8, 28014 Madrid
• Metro: Banco de España (line 2)

Royal Palace

Built in the 18th century on the site of the former Alcázar, the Royal Palace of Madrid has more than 3,000 rooms. The royal family no longer lives there, but it still hosts official ceremonies.

The visit passes through the Throne Room, the Royal Pharmacy and the Armoury, rich in parade armour. The fast-entry ticket avoids the wait in front of the courtyard.

• Address: Calle de Bailén, 28071 Madrid
• Metro: Ópera (lines 2 and 5)

Royal Collections Gallery

Opened in 2023 next to the Royal Palace, this museum of the royal collections presents the treasures accumulated by the Spanish crown over the centuries: tapestries, armour, carriages, paintings and goldsmith's work.

Its building, clinging to the cliff overlooking the Campo del Moro, offers spectacular views from its large picture windows.

• Address: Calle de Bailén, 28013 Madrid
• Metro: Ópera (lines 2 and 5)

CaixaForum

Facing the botanical garden, this former power station transformed by the architects Herzog and de Meuron hosts temporary exhibitions of art, photography and design.

It is easy to spot from afar thanks to its vertical garden by Patrick Blanc, covered with thousands of plants. An easy stop to fit in between the Prado and the Reina Sofía.

• Address: Paseo del Prado 36, 28014 Madrid
• Metro: Estación del Arte (line 1)

Sorolla Museum

Housed in the home and studio of the painter Joaquín Sorolla, this intimate museum celebrates the master of Mediterranean light, known for his sun-drenched beach scenes.

The studio has been left as the artist left it, and the Andalusian-inspired garden, with its fountains and azulejos, offers a welcome break in the middle of the city.

• Address: Paseo del General Martínez Campos 37, 28010 Madrid
• Metro: Iglesia (line 1)

National Archaeological Museum

Its most famous piece is the Lady of Elche, an Iberian bust about 2,400 years old. The museum traces the history of the peninsula, from prehistory to modern times, via Rome and al-Andalus.

In the garden, a reproduction of the Altamira cave lets you admire its cave paintings, as the original is closed to the public.

• Address: Calle de Serrano 13, 28001 Madrid
• Metro: Serrano (line 4)

Lázaro Galdiano Museum

In his palace in the Salamanca district, the collector José Lázaro Galdiano gathered an eclectic private collection: Goya, El Greco, Bosch, but also enamels, jewellery and objets d'art.

The painted ceilings and the atmosphere of a bourgeois home make up the charm of the visit, far from the crowds of the big museums.

• Address: Calle de Serrano 122, 28006 Madrid
• Metro: Gregorio Marañón (lines 7 and 10)

Cerralbo Museum

This 19th-century palace, bequeathed by the Marquis of Cerralbo with all his collections, has kept its original decor: a gilded ballroom, tapestried salons, paintings, weapons and porcelain.

You enter it like the home of a Madrid aristocrat of the Belle Époque. A stone's throw from the Temple of Debod, it combines easily with a stroll in the West Park.

• Address: Calle de Ventura Rodríguez 17, 28008 Madrid
• Metro: Ventura Rodríguez (line 3)

Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando

Goya was its director, and the academy keeps several of his canvases. This little-known museum on Calle de Alcalá also exhibits Zurbarán, Murillo, Rubens and Arcimboldo's Spring.

Located two minutes from the Puerta del Sol, it remains surprisingly quiet. A pleasant surprise for anyone who has already done the Prado.

• Address: Calle de Alcalá 13, 28014 Madrid
• Metro: Sevilla (line 2)

Museum of Romanticism

In a mansion in the Malasaña district, this museum recreates everyday life in the 19th century: salons, bedrooms, furniture, paintings and objects of a well-off family of the Romantic era.

Its café, set in a garden hidden behind the façade, is one of the most charming spots in the neighbourhood.

• Address: Calle de San Mateo 13, 28004 Madrid
• Metro: Tribunal (lines 1 and 10)

National Museum of Natural Sciences

Dinosaur skeletons, minerals and stuffed animals make up this natural history museum. Its star piece, a skeleton of a megatherium, the giant sloth from South America, was one of the first fossils mounted in the world.

An outing appreciated by families, to combine with a stroll in the neighbouring gardens.

• Address: Calle de José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid
• Metro: Gregorio Marañón (lines 7 and 10)

Museum of the Americas

Near the university campus, this museum presents pre-Columbian civilisations and colonial America. You discover the Quimbaya Treasure, Colombian gold work, and one of the few surviving Mayan codices.

Masks, ceramics and ritual objects complete a tour that is often deserted, ideal for a quiet visit.

• Address: Avenida de los Reyes Católicos 6, 28040 Madrid
• Metro: Moncloa (lines 3 and 6)

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and Real Madrid Museum

You do not need to be a football fan to enjoy the visit of the Real Madrid stadium. The tour goes through the stands, the pitch, the dressing rooms and the players' bench.

The club museum then lines up its many trophies, including its Champions Leagues, and retraces the history of one of the most successful clubs in the world.

• Address: Avenida de Concha Espina 1, 28036 Madrid
• Metro: Santiago Bernabéu (line 10)