How to visit the museums of Madrid for free

Do you want to discover when and how to visit the museums of Madrid for free?

Madrid has become one of the cities with the most and best museums in the world, and most of them give you the chance to visit them free of charge. Hoever it’s not always easy to find all the info on their websites adn we miss the chance to visit the museums of Madrid for free.

That’s why we’ve gathered here all the free timetables from each museum so you can enjoy the city within everyone’s reach 🙂

Prado Museum

Prado Museum’s facade

We start with the jewel in the crown: the Prado National Museum. The Prado has become the largest art gallery in the world and one of the most important museums of classical painting. In his collection we can enjoy countless works of masters of painting of the height of Velázquez, Goya, Rubens or El Greco. And, of course, it is free to visit. The Prado Museum is free during its last two opening hours:

• • Monday to Saturday from 18:00h to 20:00h.
  • Sundays and holidays from 17:00h to 19:00h.

We recommend being there to queue between one and half an hour in advance, as the crowds are very large and the two hours of free opening time fly by!

Reina Sofia Museum

Façade of the Sabatini Building of the Museo Reina Sofía

We continue with the options to visit free museums in Madrid with the most visited museum in Spain and one of the most important in the world in contemporary art: the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. This museum has become the home of many Mirós, Dalís… and, above all, of Guernica, Pablo Picasso’s most iconic painting.

The Reina Sofia can also be visited free of charge during its last opening hours:

• • Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
  • Sundays from 12:30 to 14:30.

In addition, the Reina Sofia Museum has two venues in the Retiro Park (Palacio de Cristal and Palacio de Velázquez) with free access throughout its opening hours:

• • Monday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.

If you want to visit the main museum for free, we recommend arriving at least half an hour in advance.

Thyssen Museum

View of the Thyssen Museum

The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza completes the so-called “art triangle”. A museum born from one of the largest private art collections in Spain, assembled over more than seven decades by the Thyssen-Bornemisza family. In the Thyssen we can enjoy a very complete gallery of old and modern masters and of course also has free opening hours:

• • It can be visited free of charge every Monday.

If you want to make the most of your visit to the Thyssen Museum we invite you to discover it with us
on our guided tour
. Visit the museum with expert art history guides who will answer all your questions!

Archaeological Museum

Interior of the National Archaeological Museum

The National Archaeological Museum (MAN) conserves one of the most important collections of antiquities in the world, offering a journey from prehistoric times to the 19th century through utensils and works of art from the different cultures of the Mediterranean. His most famous work, the Lady of Elche, awaits us inside to discover all its secrets.

The Archaeological Museum can also be visited free of charge:

• • Saturdays from 14:00h.
  • Sundays all day.

Royal Palace of Madrid

Façade of the Royal Palace of Madrid from the Sabatini Gardens

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest palace in Western Europe (twice the size of Versailles or three times that of Buckinham) and the official residence of the Head of State. A living museum that can be visited free of charge during its last two opening hours.

• • Monday to Thursday from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm (last access at 6:00 pm).

Again, we recommend that you go half an hour to an hour in advance, as the crowds are enormous. But, of course, we recommend that if you can, you visit it with an expert guide who will reveal all the secrets of the Palace. That’s why we invite you to our
guided visit to the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral
the perfect opportunity to discover this huge monumental complex.

Sorolla Museum

Gardens of the Sorolla Museum

The opportunity to see the house of this brilliant Valencian artist who reflected so well the bright light of the Mediterranean. You can enjoy the beautiful garden of the house, the museum’s permanent collection and its interesting temporary collections in this mansion in the center of Madrid.

The museum also opens its doors free of charge:

• • Saturdays from 14:00h to 20:00h (last access at 19:15h).
  • Sundays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (last access at 2:15 pm).

Don’t miss the opportunity to visit Madrid’s museums for free! A city that has so much to offer and so much to discover. Keep exploring the city with us(you can see all our visits here) and we’ll see you in the streets of Madrid!