Museo del Prado
The Museo del Prado is one of the most famous museums in the world if you want to see classical or religious art. With masterpieces from Francisco Goya, Bosch, El Greco, Murillo, Zurbarán and as well as the famous “Las Meninas” painted by Diego Velázquez, you could spend days in this museum at not see it all.
Museo del Prado, Paseo del Prado, Madrid, Spain, +34 913 30 28 00
Museo Reina Sofía
Home to a fine collection of modern art, the Reina Sofía has some incredible works by Pablo Picasso, such as “Guernica,” which depicts the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. Plus, there’s also an extensive Salvador Dalí collection, featuring his most famous paintings like those dripping clocks, alongside many paintings by Joan Miró.
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Calle de Santa Isabel 52, Madrid, Spain, +34 917 74 10 00
The Reina Sofía in Madrid |© Joaquin Cortes / Roman Lores for the Reina Sofia
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
The Thyssen Museum has a fancy permanent collection, featuring works by Caravaggio, Rubens and Rembrandt as well as many cool special exhibits that change throughout the year. Much of the collection is actually private, owned by the Baroness Thyssen.
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Paseo del Prado 8, Madrid, Spain, +34 902 76 05 11
Museo Sorolla
Housed in the former mansion of the artist Joaquín Sorolla, the Museo Sorolla gives a beautiful glimpse into the painter’s works and life. The little outdoor garden is a charming place to breathe in the scents of spring.
Museo Sorolla, Paseo del General Martínez Campos 37, Madrid, Spain, +34 913 10 15 84
The garden at the Museo Sorolla | © Bart van Poll/Flickr
Museo Arqueológico Nacional: MAN
The Museo Arqueológico Nacional, also know as the MAN, recently underwent a huge renovation and has an enormous space dedicated to the famous prehistoric Cuevas de Altamira. The museum has artefacts from many different time periods and occupations including Prehistoric, Egyptian, Celtic, Iberian, Greek, Roman, Visigoth and Christian.
Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Calle de Serrano 13, Madrid, Spain, +34 915 77 79 12
Museo del Romanticismo
The Museo del Romanticismo is all about Romantic art, furniture, décor and more. The museum looks tiny from the outside, but actually houses more than 16,000 items from the permanent collection, such as paintings, drawings, sculptures, furniture, photos and decorative art.
Museo del Romanticismo, Calle de San Mateo 13, Madrid, Spain, +34 914 48 10 45
A living room at the Museo de Romanticismo | © Javier Rodríguez
Museo del Traje
Fashion-lovers should visit the Museo del Traje, a museum dedicated to fashion and costumes. The permanent collection has over 160,000 pieces. Many special events and temporary exhibits are offered, such as collections devoted to a particular designer or workshops and talks about the evolution of fashion in Spain.
Museo del Traje, Av. Juan de Herrera 2, Madrid, Spain, +34 915 50 47 00
Casa Museo Ratón Pérez
A museum for children, the Casa Museo Ratón Pérez is dedicated to Ratón Pérez, a tiny mouse made famous by a storybook written in 1902. In Spanish culture, this small mouse is actually the tooth fairy, bringing gifts at night in return for taking children’s teeth from beneath their pillow as they sleep.
Casa Museo Ratón Pérez, Centro Comercial Arenal, Calle del Arenal 8, Madrid, Spain, +34 915 22 69 68
A comemmorative plaque outside the Ratón Pérez museum | © Jlordovas/Wikipedia