- Madrid Travel Guide
- Hotel Search
- Flight Search
- Map
- Climate
- Sights
- Eating Out
- History
- Practical Information
- Webcams & 360 degree pics
- Getting Around
- Getting There
- Museums
- Day Trips
- Beaches
- Tours and Excursions
- Books
- Shopping
- Nightlife and Entertainment
- Internet Cafes
- Bars and Cafes
- Festivals
- Things to do
- 7 Day Itinerary
- Family Travel Ideas
- Budget Travel Ideas
- Senior Travel
- When to Go
- Cruises
- Top 5 Must Do's
- Photo Gallery
Museums in Madrid
Edit ThisAlthough some Madrid museums may be overlooked because of the Prado Museum, there are many other destinations for a visitor to learn about Spanish art, history and decorative arts.
PradoThe Prado is to Madrid and Spain what the Louvre is to Paris and France. Built in 1785, it was once a natural history museum, a repository of Spanish art, and today a collection of some of the world's most important artwork. Featured prominently are Spanish painters such as Velazquez, Ribera, Murillo and Goya.
The collection features 7,600 paintings alone, not to mention the thousands of drawings, prints and sculptures. The museum generally displays around 1,000 items at a time and loans several thousand others. The displayed collection focuses primarily on the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Prado is
closed on Mondays.
Not far from the Prado Museum are the Museo
Reina Sofia, the Museo Arqueologico National and the Museo
Thyssen-Bornemisza.
Housed in what used to be a hospital, the museum features some of the world's most notable 20th century Spanish paintings. One of the most famous paintings is Pablo Picasso's "Guernica."
Museo Arqueologico Nacional
Madrid's archaeology museum features a collection dating back to prehistory. Although Spain is featured most prominently, the collection also includes artifacts from classical Greece and Rome and Egypt. The museum opened in 1867 after a decree by Queen Isabella II.
Museo Thyssen-BornemiszaThis private collection is small but impressive. It focuses on European art and consists of works by many of the best known European painters: Cezanne, Tintoretto, Titian, Monet and so on.
Contributors
March 11, 2005
change
by giorgio
March 19, 2010
change
by huttongreen
Museum of Ethnology
Edit ThisThe Museum of Ethnology houses the history of all the nations in the world.
| type: | Museums |
| World66 rating: | 
[rate it] |
| address: | Alfonso XII 68 |
The Prado Museum
Edit ThisProbably one of the best museums with an incredible collection of paintings by Goya.
The Museum houses the most important schools of painting from the 12th to the 19th century. The Spanish painting from 19th century can be seen at Cason del Buen Retiro. Open form 9.00 to 19.00, Sundays: 9-14. Mondays closed. http://museoprado.mcu.es (Paseo del Prado, Metro Banco de Espana)
| type: | The Art Walk |
| World66 rating: |
[rate it] |
| address: | Paseo del Prado |
| tel: | 91 420 36 63 |
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
Edit ThisDon't think that the Prado is the only art museum in Madrid. The
Thyssen is just as great, I think. They have a really great collection
of paintings from the Middle Ages.
The Museum houses the largest and best collection of pictures collected
by Baron Hans Thyssen-Bornemisza from 13th century to the present days.
Open from Tuesday to Sunday:10-19h. Mondays closed.
http://www.museothyssen.org/indexi.htm
| type: | The Art Walk |
| World66 rating: |
[rate it] |
| address: | Paseo de Pradho 8,Villahermosa Palace |
| tel: | 91 420 39 44 |
Reina Sofia National Museum
Edit ThisThe Museum houses the most important collections of the 20th century Spanish and foreign art. Open 10-21, Sundays: 9-14.30, Tuesday closed.
Although smaller than the Prado, the Reina Sofia's modern art collection is truly world-class and cannot be missed. Be sure to factor in extra time for Guernica, Picasso's masterful protest against fascist oppression. The painting can strike even the most art-jaded traveller like a smack in the face, leaving him mouth agape for 20 minutes or more, staring in wonder at man's beastly capabilities.
| type: | The Art Walk |
| World66 rating: |
[rate it] |
Archaeological Museum
Edit ThisFamous with its historical and prehistoric collections.
| type: | Museums |
| World66 rating: |
[rate it] |
| address: | Serrano 13, |
Thyssen Bornemisza Museum
Edit ThisMarvellous museum with an extensive collection of over 700 Spanish and international paintings. Paseo del Prado, 8. Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mondays closed.
| type: | Museums |
| World66 rating: |
[rate it] |
| address: | Paseo de Pradho 8,Villahermosa Palace |
| tel: | 91 420 39 44 |
Wax Museum
Edit ThisIn front of the final bus station of the bus coming from the Airport (Plaza Colon) you will see the Museo de Cera (the wax museum) http://www.museoceramadrid.es with its more than 400 important persons and its terror hall.
| type: | Museums |
| World66 rating: |
[rate it] |
America's Museum
Edit ThisOne of my favorite museums is the America's Museum (Museo de America), (Reyes Catolicos 6), in the area of Moncloa (the student area) and close to the 90th meters tower, from where you can see almost all the city. This Museum is dedicated to the pre-Columbian history. You can find Indian letters written with a rope or the Inca's gold collection.
| type: | Museums |
| World66 rating: |
[rate it] |
Museum of Natural Sciences
Edit ThisOpen 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays and Holidays 10 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Mondays closed.
| type: | Museums |
| World66 rating: | [rate it] |
| address: | Paseo de la Castellan 84 |
The Museum of Madrid
Edit This| type: | Museums |
| World66 rating: | [rate it] |
| address: | Principe de Vergara 140 |
Museo Sorolla
Edit ThisSorolla may be less well known outside Spain than many other painters but a recent exhibition of his works at the Prado was the best attended for 10 years!
The museum is in the house built for him in 2010 and has much from his collections of fine furniture and porcelain as well as many of his paintings.
Some have awarded him the title 'Master of Light.' If you click on 'collecciones' and then 'pinturas' on the website, you might decide he is the 'Master of White!'
| World66 rating: | [rate it] |
| tel: | (00 34) 91 3101584 |
| openingHours: | Tu-Sat 0930-2000 Sun 1000-1500 |
| url: | museosorolla.mcu.es |
| address: | General Martínez Campos, 37 |
