The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, at Calle Santa Isabel 52 near Atocha station, is Madrid's museum of modern and contemporary art; it shows Picasso's Guernica along with works by Dalí and Miró. It is open on Mondays and from Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00, on Sundays from 10:00 to 14:30, and it is closed on Tuesdays. A ticket costs €12; entry is free for everyone Monday to Saturday (except Tuesday) from 19:00 to 21:00 and on Sundays from 12:30 to 14:30. Its collections, numbering nearly 25,000 pieces, run from the late 19th century to the present day, with a strong focus on Spanish and Latin American art.
Highlights
Picasso's Guernica
Picasso painted this canvas, nearly 8 metres long, in 1937 for the pavilion of the Spanish Republic at the Paris International Exhibition, after the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica. It hangs on the 2nd floor of the Sabatini Building, surrounded by preparatory studies and photographs of its making.
The Sabatini Building
This former general hospital of Madrid, built under Charles III with Francesco Sabatini directing the works, houses the permanent collections. The two glass lift towers on the façade were added when it was converted into an art centre.
The Nouvel Building
The extension designed by Jean Nouvel, opened in 2005, is arranged around a courtyard covered by a large red roof. It houses temporary exhibitions, the library, a café-restaurant and terraces.
The Sabatini Building garden
The inner garden of the former hospital, planted with trees and graced by a fountain, offers a quiet place to rest during your visit.
The Retiro palaces
The museum also exhibits in two buildings in Retiro Park. The Palacio de Velázquez is open every day, from October to March from 10:00 to 18:00, and entry is free. The Palacio de Cristal is temporarily closed for works; only the art installation covering it can be seen from outside.
Opening hours and prices
Open on Mondays and from Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00, on Sundays from 10:00 to 14:30; closed on Tuesdays, and on 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 15 May, 9 November, 24, 25 and 31 December (the 15 May and 9 November dates may change with the Community of Madrid's calendar). General ticket: €12 (collections and temporary exhibitions); with audio guide: €18; two-visit ticket, valid for one year: €18; 50% off for large families and cultural volunteers. Free, at the ticket desk with proof, for under-18s, over-65s, students aged 18 to 25, teachers, unemployed people, youth card holders and people with disabilities (33% or more) with their companion. Free for everyone on Mondays and from Wednesday to Saturday from 19:00 to 21:00, on Sundays from 12:30 to 14:30, and on 18 April, 18 and 22 May, 12 October and 6 December; a free ticket is still required and can be booked online. Paseo del Arte pass (Prado, Reina Sofía, Thyssen-Bornemisza): €32.80. Prices checked in October 2026.
Infos pratiques
Tips
If you bought your ticket online, enter through the Nouvel Building on Ronda de Atocha, a covered entrance recommended by the museum. Book your free ticket online before coming during the free hours, which are in high demand. The collection is being rearranged, so some rooms may be closed. Suitcases are not allowed, and bags over 50 cm are not accepted in the lockers.
How to get there
Calle Santa Isabel 52, 28012 Madrid (Sabatini Building); Nouvel Building entrance at Ronda de Atocha 2. Metro Estación del Arte (line 1) or Lavapiés (line 3); Cercanías Atocha, a 5-minute walk away. Buses 6, 10, 14, 19, 26, 27, 32, 34, 36, 37, 41, 45, C1 and C2; the Prado Museum is about a 10-minute walk along the Paseo del Prado.
Opening hours
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