Prado Museum Tickets Madrid

The Prado Museum in Madrid

The Prado opened to the public in 1819 in a neoclassical building designed by Juan de Villanueva, and it grew from the collections of the Spanish royal family. Today it holds thousands of paintings, sculptures and drawings, but the highlights are concentrated enough to see in a single well-planned visit.

People who search for Prado Museum tickets usually want to see the masterpieces without wasting time. A ticket for the day you choose lets you enter the permanent galleries, and most visitors spend two to three hours inside, although art lovers can easily fill a full day.

Velazquez, Goya and El Greco

Room 12 holds Las Meninas, Velazquez's famous portrait of the Spanish court, which repays a slow look at the play of light and the way the viewer seems part of the scene. Nearby you will find his other royal portraits and the mythological works that show his technique.

Goya gets a generous section, from the bright tapestry cartoons to The Third of May 1808 and the dark, haunting Black Paintings. El Greco's elongated figures and vivid colours complete the trio that defines Spanish painting and make it the natural starting point for your visit.

Bosch, Titian, Rubens and Other European Masters

Beyond Spanish art, the Prado is famous for its Flemish and Italian collections. Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights is a favourite, full of strange detail, while Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese fill the Venetian rooms and Rubens shows the drama of the Baroque.

Durer's Adam and Eve, Rogier van der Weyden's Descent from the Cross and Fra Angelico's Annunciation are among the other works worth seeking out. If time is short, pick a handful of favourites and let the museum map guide you rather than trying to see everything.

Planning Your Prado Visit: Best Time, Hours and How to Get There

The best time to visit the Prado is early in the morning on a weekday or later in the afternoon, when the large groups have left. Opening hours change by season, and the museum closes on a few public holidays such as 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.

To get to the Prado Museum, take the metro to Banco de Espana or Atocha, or walk from Retiro Park. Large bags must be left at the cloakroom, and photography is not generally permitted in the galleries, so check the signs. The museum pairs naturally with the nearby Reina Sofia and Thyssen museums for an art-focused day.