Crystal Palace in Retiro Park, Madrid: history, restoration and reopening

Updated on October 9, 2026

The Crystal Palace (Palacio de Cristal) is the iron-and-glass pavilion of Retiro Park, south of the Great Pond. Built in 1887 by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco for the Philippines Exposition, it is reflected in a small lake lined with bald cypresses. It normally serves as an exhibition hall for the Reina Sofía museum, but it is closed to the public for a full restoration of its structure and glazing, with completion announced for 2027. Until then you can see it from the outside, sometimes partly covered by scaffolding.

Highlights

The glass façade and the lake

A large glazed nave on a brick and ceramic base, topped by a dome and doubled in the water. Even closed, it remains one of the most photographed spots in the park.

Bald cypresses in autumn

Around the lake the bald cypresses turn red in autumn, the most photogenic season to come and see the building from the outside.

The works

The restoration involves replacing several thousand panes and the metal framework, with completion announced for around summer 2027. A reopening date is not guaranteed: a project of this kind can slip by a few months.

The Velázquez Palace

A few minutes' walk away, Velázquez Bosco's other pavilion hosts free temporary Reina Sofía exhibitions: a good alternative for getting inside a park building during the works.

Hours and prices

Palace closed to the public for restoration (checked in October 2026); the lake and surroundings can be seen from the park paths, free, open daily 06:00–24:00 from April to September and 06:00–22:00 from October to March. Access conditions on reopening are not yet known: check the Reina Sofía museum website.

Practical info

Tips

Check the state of the works on the Reina Sofía museum website before you come if you hope to go inside. For photos, stand on the lakeside in the late afternoon. Combine the visit with Retiro Park, the Great Pond and the Prado: see where to eat near the Retiro and around the Prado. Also read: Madrid's most beautiful parks; the Reina Sofía museum.

How to get there

Retiro Park, south of the Great Pond, 28007 Madrid. Enter by the Puerta de Alcalá (plaza de la Independencia) and allow 15 minutes on foot, or by the avenida de Menéndez Pelayo gate. Metro Retiro (line 2), Ibiza (line 9), Atocha or Estación del Arte (line 1).