10 Best Museums in Madrid

Museo del Prado is one of the 3 art museums in Madrid’s Paseo del Prado avenue. Open daily from 10am to 8pm, it occupies a neo-classical building and displays European artwork dating back to between the 16th and 19th centuries. The Spanish Royal Art Collection is also on display here, which comprises masterpieces by El Greco, Murillo, Zurbarán, and Diego Velázquez. Entrance to Museo del Prado costs €15, with free admission available on Sunday between 5pm and 7pm, and from Monday to Saturday between 6pm and 8pm.

Museo Thyssen Museum is known for its permanent collection of Italian Renaissance and French Impressionist masterpieces by Dali, Van Gogh, and Monet. Over 750 paintings in the museum were collected by Baron Hans-Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza back in the 1920s. The permanent collection is available for public viewing every Monday from 12pm to 4pm and from Tuesday to Sunday between 10am to 7pm. There’s a gift shop selling books, sunglasses, and bags with designs inspired by the museum’s collection.

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía attracts art lovers with its extensive collection of contemporary paintings by the likes of Picasso, Dali, and Miró. It’s highly regarded as one of Madrid’s most important museums, and is just a 10-minute walk from Museo del Prado. Over 22,400 artworks are displayed in Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, with its star attraction being Pablo Picasso’s Guernica. You can also see more than 100 masterpieces by Salvador Dali.

The Museum Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid showcases the country’s history through archaeology. Its permanent exhibitions display artefacts dating back to prehistoric and modern times. Temporary exhibits, concerts, lectures, dramatized monologues, and book launches regularly take place at this notable museum.  

Virtual and guided tours are available for those looking for comprehensive details about each exhibit. The museum also features themed itineraries to cater to particular interests. Make sure to stop by the Spanish National Library, which is housed inside the same neoclassical building.

Museo del Romanticismo is where you can find over 16,000 artefacts, paintings, and furnishings dating back to between 1833 and 1868. The museum occupies the 18th-century palace of the Marquis of Matallana in San Mateo. Masterpieces by Goya, Madrazo, Alenza, and Esquivel are on display, as well as porcelain dolls, pianos, and ornate silverware from Spain’s Romantic period. Admission costs about €3, but you can enter the museum for free every Saturday from 2.30pm and Sunday for the entire day.

Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales dates back to the late-18th century, when King Carlos III established it as the Royal Cabinet of Natural History. Today, the museum features permanent and temporary exhibits on archaeology, biodiversity, evolutionary ecology, volcanology, and geology. One of its most visited exhibits is the replica of a Diplodocus carnegii, which was donated to King Alfonso XIII in 1913. Entrance tickets to the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales cost about €7.

Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas displays over 70,000 furnishings, tapestries, and decorative art pieces dating back as far as 400BC. Prominent items here include antique dollhouses, ceramics from Talavera and Teruel, and an Oriental Arts collection which displays porcelains from China’s Ming and Qing dynasties. One of its most visited exhibits is the Valencian kitchen, which has over 1,600 painted tiles forming the image of an 18th-century domestic setting. Entrance costs around €3, but you in for free every Thursday afternoon, Saturday between 2pm and 3pm, and all day on Sunday.

Museo Sorolla occupies the home of neo-Impressionist artist Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, who’s known as the ‘painter of light’. Established in 1932, it has 3 naturally-lit studios displaying his original work utensils and over 200 paintings of gardens, beaches, and portraits. You can also see many authentic furnishings, decorative arts, and clothes within the museum, giving you a glimpse into the artist’s life. Museo Sorolla is surrounded by 3 tranquil gardens, one of which features a pergola for visitors to relax in during their visit.

Museo Lázaro Galdiano features over 12,000 paintings and artefacts accumulated by renowned collector José Lázaro Galdiano. The museum occupies his former mansion in Madrid’s Salamanca area. Tickets to Museo Lázaro Galdiano cost around €6, but free admission is available every Sunday between 2pm and 3pm, as well as from Tuesday to Saturday between 3.30pm and 4.30pm.

The Museo de América was founded in 1941, housing American archaeology items across various themes. Its massive collection spans over 25,000 objects, with most of the antiques sourced from the Royal Cabinet of Natural History. Standouts include pre-Columbian artefacts from Peru and Guatemala.

You can also see works by Spanish artists like Alonso Lopez de Herrera, José de Ibarra, and Miguel Cabrera. You can visit the museum for free on Sundays and certain days of the year.