Museums · Madrid · Spain
4 best museums in Madrid
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Kyle Magnuson from Los Angeles, United States, CC BY 2.0
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Quick answer
Start with Prado Museum, Reina Sofía Museum and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Together the 4 picks below take roughly 9–12 hours across 3 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 4
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 9–12 hours
- Areas
- Paseo del Prado, Atocha and Salamanca
Museums in Madrid
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Museum · Paseo del Prado
1.Prado Museum
Spain's national art museum, opened in 1819, holds the world's greatest collections of Velázquez and Goya — including Las Meninas, The Third of May 1808 and Goya's Black Paintings — along with Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, El Greco, Titian and Rubens.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Atocha
2.Reina Sofía Museum
Spain's national museum of 20th-century and contemporary art occupies a former hospital with glass lift towers and a Jean Nouvel extension.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Paseo del Prado
3.Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Built on a private collection bought by the Spanish state in 1993, the Thyssen fills the gaps between the Prado and Reina Sofía, running chronologically from Italian primitives through Dutch masters, Impressionism and German Expressionism to American pop art.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Salamanca
4.National Archaeological Museum
Spain's main archaeology collection runs from prehistory to the Middle Ages, with the Iberian bust of the Lady of Elche, Roman mosaics, the jewelled Visigothic votive crowns of the Treasure of Guarrazar and Islamic art from al-Andalus.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
- Kids
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Paseo del Prado | Prado Museum and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum | 3–4 hours + 2–3 hours |
| Atocha | Reina Sofía Museum | 2–3 hours |
| Salamanca | National Archaeological Museum | 2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 4, 1 low cost, 3 mid-priced. Book ahead for Prado Museum. The longest visit is Prado Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Prado Museum: Buy timed tickets online, especially for weekends and holiday periods.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Paseo del Prado): Prado Museum, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Paseo del Prado): Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Atocha and Salamanca): Reina Sofía Museum → National Archaeological Museum, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- August: highs of 31°C (88°F), about 1 rainy days, quiet crowds. Hot and quieter as Madrileños leave on holiday; some restaurants close, but the traditional verbenas fill La Latina and Lavapiés.
- February: highs of 12°C (54°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Still cool, with bright days; a good month for museums and hearty cocido lunches.
- January: highs of 10°C (50°F), about 6 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold, crisp and often sunny, with frosty nights; museums are quiet and the January sales begin.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Barrio de las Letras — The literary quarter of Huertas, with quotations inlaid in the pavements
- Salamanca — Elegant 19th-century grid of luxury boutiques and smart restaurants
- Lavapiés — Multicultural, working-class streets near the Reina Sofía
- Retiro and Los Jerónimos — Quiet, elegant streets between the Prado and the Retiro park
More of Madrid
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Madrid?
Prado Museum. Spain's national art museum, opened in 1819, holds the world's greatest collections of Velázquez and Goya — including Las Meninas, The Third of May 1808 and Goya's Black Paintings — along with Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, El Greco, Titian and Rubens.