With the largest collection of Spanish art and a massive catalogue that consists of other Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces, the Museo Nacional del Prado or Prado Museum is the most visited attraction in Madrid. Occupying an 18th century Neoclassical building, the Prado Museum in Madrid was designed by architect Juan de Villanueva in 1785 and opened to the public as the Museo Nacional del Prado for the first time in November 1819.
The Prado Museum Madrid has the works of some of the best artists of their time like Francisco Goya, El Greco, Hieronymus Bosch, Fra Angelico, Diego Velázquez, Raphael, and Titian, and is one of the most visited attractions in the city. Your Prado Museum tickets will expose you to a world of masterpieces, so before you go, here's a quick guide to all you need to know about Prado Museum Madrid.
Prado Museum Essentials
Established in 1819, the Prado Museum Madrid is considered a very important national landmark. It’s holdings include Spanish, French, and Italian paintings till 1700, artwork from the Spanish Golden Age, Flemish painting and Northern schools, paintings from the 18th and 19th century, and over 140 works by Francisco Goya. Prado Museum Madrid also has a lot of ongoing exhibitions that complement the permanent collection.
This museum is home to over 20,000 works of art that include around 7,500 paintings, 8,000 drawings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures and other works of art and historical documents, collected on four floors.
Know Before You Go
| ☀️ Best Time to Visit: | Late afternoon |
| ⏰ Suggested Duration: | 3 Hours |
| 🎟️ Prado Museum Ticket | €15 |
| 👷 Built in: | 19 November 1819 |
| 🚄 Closest Subway Station: | Banco de España |
Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
All Sundays, January 1, May 1, and
December 25: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
January 6, and December 24 and 31: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Must-See Exhibits
Francisco Goya’s La Maja desnuda
Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas
Hieronymous Bosch’s triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights
Raphael’s The Cardinal
Titian’s Venus and Adonis
Address
C. de Ruiz de Alarcón, 23, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Get there
Why You Should Visit Prado Museum
Prado Museum has one of the most extensive collections of art in the world, with a focus on the earlier periods. Considered one of the greatest art museums in the world, it is filled with masterpieces, with a special focus on portraits.
You can enjoy the eclectic collection of the Spanish monarch, which includes The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch and The Descent from the Cross by Rogier van der Weyden. Trace the historical development of Spain through the works of the Venetian artist Titian and his representation of the Habsburg Dynasty. Additionally, the works of Francisco Goya captured Spanish society, making for a fascinating subject, as they are presented in a very straightforward style.
Some of the popular works of art in the museum are Death of the Virgin by Andrea Mantegna, Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest by El Greco, Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez, Goya's Maja series, Emperor Carlos V on Horseback by Titian, and David Victorious over Goliath by Caravaggio.
Prado Museum Map & Floor Plan
Level -1
Watch out for : Decorative Arts
Do not miss: Cup with Golden Mermaid, Anonymous (Room 101)
Level 0
Watch out for: Spanish Painting 1100-1910, German Painting 1450-1550, Sculptures, Flemish Painting 1430-1570, and Italian Painting 1300-1600
Do not miss: The Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymus Bosch (Room 56A) and Saturn Devouring His Child, Francisco Goya (Room 67)
Level 1
Watch out for: German Painting 1750-1800, French Painting 1600-1800, Flemish Painting 1600-1700, Italian Painting 1450-1800, British Painting 1750-1800, Dutch Painting 1600-1695, Drawings, and Temporary Exhibitions
Do not miss: The Feast of Bacchus, Diego Velázquez (Room 11), Las Meninas, Diego Velázquez (Room 12), La Maja Desnuda, Francisco Goya (Room 36)
Level 2
Watch out for: Sculptures, Spanish Painting 1700-1800, and German Painting 1750-1800
Do not miss: The Parasol, Francisco Goya (Room 86)
To see the image of the Prado Museum floor plan, click here.
Prado Museum Tickets
Prado Museum is one of the most famous attractions in Madrid. It is crowded almost always hence, buying your Prado Museum tickets online is a wise idea to skip the terribly long queues. Taking a guided tour of the Prado Museum is also highly recommended if you're an art aficionado. Moreover, buying your Prado Museum tickets online will help you save a few euros as opposed to the gate price.
If you're planning to visit other top attractions in Madrid, like the Royal Palace of Madrid, the El Retiro Park, Reina Sofia Museum and Thyssen-Bornemisza, you can buy combo tickets that will help you save a few euros on individual gate prices. Check out our curation of the Top 5 Prado Museum tickets at the best price available on the internet!
Prado Museum Highlights - Famous Artworks & Exhibits
Goya created La maja desnuda for a commission by Manuel de Godoy. Its pendant painting La maja vestida was created in 1803. Among Goya’s most famous works, La maja desnuda was a controversial work at its time. Both works have been in the museum since 1901.
Created by the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age, the work is considered one of the most important paintings in Western art history. Set in a room in the Royal Alcazar of Madrid, the painting depicts a five-year-old Margaret Theresa, looking directly at the viewer.
The Garden of Earthly Delights is a triptych oil painting on an oak panel. The left panel depicts Eden, and shows Adam and Even meeting for the first time, with God holding Eve by the wrist. The center panel is Earthly Delights, depicting a large garden with men, women, plants, and animals. The right panel depicts Hell.
This is an oil on panel work, created between 1510-1511. One can see the meticulous strokes of the brush in the textures of the clothes, and the definite influence of Flemish paintings in the way the face is painted.
It is believed that there are at least thirty versions of this painting that have been painted by Titian, his assistants, and others. The work held in the museum is dated 1554 and is made with oil paints on canvas. The painting is set at dawn and shows Adonis pulling away from his lover Venus.
Prado Museum History
The Prado Museum was constructed in 1785 by renowned architect Juan de Villanueva in a characteristic Neoclassical design. King Charles III had ordered it for the National History Cabinet, but his grandson King Ferdinand VII, under the persuasion of his wife Queen Maria Isabel de Braganza, opted to utilize it to house the new Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures. This museum was intended to display a lovely collection the royal family had amassed. The location's previous name, the National Museum of Paintings and Sculptures, came before it was given its current name, Museo Nacional del Prado. The museum was opened to Visitors in November 1819.
When the museum originally opened, it had a catalogue listing more than 300 works of art and was entirely devoted to Spanish paintings. Over time, it also managed to corral a number of works by Flemish, Italian, German, and French artists. Its collection grew noticeably in the 16th century under Charles V's patronage, and it continued to thrive under succeeding rulers. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the museum saw a sharp rise in visitors. To accommodate the visitors, the museum was expanded as much as possible while also making changes to the original Villanueva building. The museum gained 61,500 extra square feet with the purchase of the Hall of Realms from the Buen Retiro palace, which can be used for future development.
Know Before You Visit Prado Museum Madrid
Best Time To Visit Prado Museum Madrid
If you have purchased your tickets online, try arriving as soon as the museum opens at 10:00 AM. This way you can avoid the long lines at the security check and enjoy the museum without swarming crowds. The Prado Museum Madrid starts bustling around 11:00 AM up until 2:00 PM and then quietens again during lunch hours. If you can grab an early lunch, the hours of lunchtime lull, between 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM are also great to tour the museum.
Know the 5 entrances to Prado Museum Madrid
The Prado Museum Madrid being a massive one, has multiple points of entry, 5 to be precise. If you're looking to buy tickets on the spot, you can buy them only from 2 entrances, both on Felipe IV Street in Plaza de Goya. Amongst these 2, Puerta de Goya Baja, offers a range of concessions and discounted tickets, hence the queues here are obviously longer. At the other one, Puerta de Goya Alta you have automated ticket machines but you have to pay full price though the lines here are considerably shorter. If you have purchased your tickets online, you can skip these two entrances and choose any of the other 3 entrances - Puerta de Velázquez, Puerta de los Jerónimos, and Puerta de Murillo for a speedy entry.
Traveler Tip: The lines at Puerta de Murillo are usually the shortest as they are technically only for educational and cultural groups. Sometimes the gatekeeper will usher you through, but you run the risk of ending up at the end of the line.
Free Entrance Prado Museum
Prado Museum Madrid practises free entry hours from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Monday through Saturday and from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Sundays and holidays. While these hours can be tempting for budget travellers, bear in mind that these hours see the maximum crowds, simply because everyone wants free entry just like you! Show up at least 45 minutes before the free hours start to avoid spending precious holiday time in queues.
Grab a free map and floor plan at the entrance
After you pass security check, make sure to pick up a free map and a plan of the museum’s layout which also includes a handy guide to the masterpieces inside and where to find them. You will find these at the information center right by the entrance. Take a few minutes and plan what you'd like to see and chart your route to make the most of your time here.
Indulge in a quick bite at Cafe Prado
Right next to the gift shop take a museum break, rest your feet and enjoy a light meal, snack and/or drink at Cafe Prado. Opening hours are the same as the museum but last service is provided 30 minutes before the scheduled museum closing. As this is the only F&B service in the museum, it can get pretty crowded, so be prepared to wait a short while. The wifi signal is very strong at Cafe Prado so you while away the queue time by reading up on artworks that you are wanting to see in the Prado galleries.
Prado Museum Madrid - Opening Hours & Directions
Prado Museum Opening Hours
- Monday to Saturday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
- All Sundays, January 1, May 1, and December 25: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
- January 6, and December 24 and 31: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Prado Museum Address
Paseo del Prado, s/n, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Get Directions
Getting To Prado Museum Madrid
- By Metro: The closest metro station to the Prado Museum is the Atocha station (Blue Line L1) or Banco de Espana station (Red Line L2).
- By Bus: Lines 9, 10, 14, 19, 27, 34, 37 and 45
- Easily accessible entrances from the stations: Jerónimos Entrance or Goya Entrance on Felipe IV Street
Best Prado Museum Deals - Save 10% On Your Online Tickets!
Handy Tips For Your Prado Museum Madrid Visit
- Purchasing your Prado Museum Tickets online can help you save a few euros and avoid the hassle of standing in the average 1 hour ticket lines. Skip the Line Prado Museum Tickets are highly recommended.
- Photography is strictly prohibited in the museum rooms. Please respect this and refrain from clicking pictures.
- Your camera and other items (such as coats and bags) can be stashed away in the cloakroom for free after going through the security check. Some objects such as umbrellas or large bags are not allowed in the museum.
- On your way out, quickly pop by the Prado Museum souvenir shop. You can find a great collection of prints, books and other collectables here.
- The museum is accessible to wheelchairs and provides free wheelchairs and canes for use during the visit.
- If you're interested in visiting the Prado, Thyssen, and Reina Sofia, the 3 art museums that make up Madrid’s Golden Triangle then splurge on the Paseo del Arte. This pass is valid for a year and you'll save about €6 when compared to buying the full-price tickets individually.
Prado Museum Reviews
Stunning museum, the permanent collection is unbelievably beautiful. Could spend hours and hours admiring those paintings and sculptures.
- Thomas Giugovaz, August 2021
One of the most wonderful museums in the world. Don't miss the room with Goya's Black Paintings (if you're into scary stuff) and naturally the Garden of Earthly Delights (El Bosco) or that scary death painting by Peter Bruegel the Elder... truly breathtaking.
- Phil Dempots, August 2021
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