The Prado (Museo Nacional del Prado) is one of the world’s most prestigious art museums. It was commissioned in 1785 by King Carlos III to showcase Spanish talent and taste. The royal collection has formed the core of the museum’s inventory since it opened to the public in 1819. The collection has expanded over the years to include works from other European nations and even ancient Greek and Roman statues.
Spend hours wandering from hall to hall and admire some of the finest artworks of the Western world. The permanent collection consists of more than 20,000 paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings, with roughly 1,300 on display at any one time. Art lovers can look forward to the world’s largest concentration of Spanish works, an impressive array of French, Italian, Dutch and Flemish paintings, as well as a selection of German and English art.
Be absorbed by Velázquez’s Las Meninas, one of the museum’s most popular pieces. For a look at other masterpieces, check out the gallery housing Francisco de Goya’s Black Paintings. They were painted as murals in the artist’s house between 1819 and 1823 and are renowned as some of the most unsettling works in the collection.
Keep exploring to find paintings by Titian, Botticelli, Rubens, Bosch, Dürer and many others. Few museums can boast such a rich collection of the Western world’s most valuable artistic treasures you’ll need to set aside at least a day to see them all.
The Prado is a short walk from Puerta del Sol down Carrera de San Jerónimo and along the Paseo del Prado. The museum is open daily except New Year’s Day, May 1 and Christmas Day. There’s an admission fee, but students and seniors get a discount.
Prado Museum
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Reviews of Prado Museum
5/5 - Excellent
Some days you can visit the Museum free from 6pm to 8 p.m.
2/5 - Disappointing
One can't just drop in so give yourself time to queue
5/5 - Excellent
Pre-book and pay for ordinary admission. No need for special rate to get in early. I pre-paid ordinary price and jumped a queue of about 250 at 10 am, opening time.
5/5 - Excellent
It is well worth getting a guide for two hours. You can stay longer after the tour, which takes you to the more famous and interesting paintings. We chose a lunchtime slot and found that we were two of only four in the group. The guide was great; enthusiastic and informative. The Prado is always crowded with long queues to get in, a tour is not expensive and saves a good deal of time and energy if your stay in Madrid is limited.
5/5 - Excellent
Free entry evenings
5/5 - Excellent
Excellent cafe/restaurant, good value food.
Popular places to visit
Church of San Jeronimo El Real
The former royal church of Madrid is an awe-inspiring Gothic structure atop a serene, grassy knoll near the city center’s royal museum.
Paseo del Arte
You can enjoy some culture when you stop by Paseo del Arte in Madrid. Visit the shops and top-notch restaurants in this romantic area.
Plaza de Canovas del Castillo
Take photos at the iconic Fountain of Neptune before exploring the treasure trove of historic sites and gorgeous buildings that surround this famous Madrid square.
Fountain of Neptune
Snap photos of this emblematic fountain, which represents a mythological Greek god and is the perfect complement to the resplendent buildings of the Paseo del Prado.
Cason del Buen Retiro
Part of the Prado Museum, this neoclassical landmark is one of the last surviving buildings of a palace that once stood in El Retiro Park.
Royal Botanical Garden
Relax among the thousands of colorful and aromatic plants meticulously laid out in a garden located alongside Madrid’s busy Paseo del Prado.