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Prado Museum

Museum

Prado Museum

Spain's royal art collection on the Paseo del Prado: Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings and Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights.

experiences to book
2
typical visit
2–3 hours
lowest price
€19

Things to do at Prado Museum

Tickets

Guided tours

  • Traffic on Gran Vía beneath the Metrópolis building

    Valid all day · about 1–1.5 h per route

    Madrid Open-Top Bus

    Board at any stop · open top deck
    Free cancellationfrom€40per adult

About Prado Museum

The Prado opened in November 1819 in a building Juan de Villanueva had designed in 1785 for Charles III, first planned as a natural history cabinet. Its heart is the collection of Spain's kings, which is why it is so rich in Velázquez, Titian, Rubens and Bosch, painters the royal family collected or employed for generations.

Most visitors head first for Las Meninas, then for Goya: his court portraits, The Third of May 1808 and the Black Paintings he made for the walls of his country house. Look out too for El Greco, Van der Weyden's Descent from the Cross and Dürer's self-portrait. Rafael Moneo's 2007 extension, built around the old cloister of the Jerónimos church next door, holds the main entrance and the temporary exhibitions.

Know before you go

  • Photography and filming are not allowed in the galleries
  • No suitcases or bags larger than 40 × 40 cm
  • Under-18s enter free; bring ID
  • Pre-booked visitors use the Jerónimos entrance
  • Wheelchairs and pushchairs are lent free; lifts link the floors