Free Madrid
Free museum entry in Madrid, day by day
Almost every major museum in Madrid is free at some point in the week — but the windows are short, inconsistent, and easy to miss. This is every one of them, sorted by the day you are actually standing in the city.
Two rules that catch people out. The Prado needs a timed slot booked online even when entry is free, and they run out on busy evenings. The Royal Palace and Descalzas Reales free windows are for EU and Ibero-American citizens only, and staff do check ID.
Monday
| Museum | Free | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Thyssen-Bornemisza | 12:00–16:00 | Permanent collection only. Tickets at the door — no online booking. |
| Museo del Prado | 18:00–20:00 | Timed slot required; reserve online, they run out. |
| Royal Palace | Last 2 hours | EU / Ibero-American citizens only, with ID. Verify the current window. |
Tuesday
| Museum | Free | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Botanical Garden | 10:00–13:00 | — |
| Museo Lázaro Galdiano | 14:00–15:00 | Last hour of the morning session — arrive by 13:45. |
| Museo del Prado | 18:00–20:00 | Timed slot required. |
| Royal Palace | Last 2 hours | EU / Ibero-American citizens only. |
Wednesday
| Museum | Free | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Museo Lázaro Galdiano | 14:00–15:00 | — |
| Museo del Prado | 18:00–20:00 | Timed slot required. |
| Descalzas Reales | 16:00–18:30 | EU / Ibero-American citizens. Guided tour only, mostly in Spanish. |
| Royal Palace | Last 2 hours | EU / Ibero-American citizens only. |
Thursday
| Museum | Free | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Museo Lázaro Galdiano | 14:00–15:00 | — |
| Museo Cerralbo | 17:00–20:00 | — |
| San Francisco el Grande | Museum area, all day | — |
| Museo del Prado | 18:00–20:00 | Timed slot required. |
| Descalzas Reales | 16:00–18:30 | EU / Ibero-American citizens. |
| Royal Palace | Last 2 hours | EU / Ibero-American citizens only. |
Friday
| Museum | Free | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Museo Lázaro Galdiano | 14:00–15:00 | — |
| Museo del Prado | 18:00–20:00 | Timed slot required. |
Saturday
| Museum | Free | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| National Archaeological Museum | From 14:00 | — |
| Museum of Romanticism | From 14:00 | — |
| Sorolla Museum | 14:00–20:00 | — |
| Reina Sofía | 14:30–21:00 | — |
| Museo del Prado | 18:00–20:00 | Timed slot required. |
Sunday
| Museum | Free | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Reina Sofía | 10:00–14:30 | — |
| National Archaeological Museum | Morning | — |
| Sorolla Museum | 10:00–15:00 | — |
| Museo Cerralbo | All day | — |
| Museum of Romanticism | All day | — |
| Museo del Prado | 17:00–19:00 | Sunday and holidays close earlier than weekdays. |
Free every day
| Place | Notes |
|---|---|
| Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida | Goya's ceiling frescoes, and his grave. Free every open day. |
| Temple of Debod | Grounds always free. The interior needs a free timed ticket booked via madrid.es. |
| Matadero Madrid | Grounds and most exhibition spaces free year-round. |
| CaixaForum | The vertical garden and building exterior are free from the street; exhibitions are ticketed. |
Four dates when the state museums are free to everyone
- 18 April
- 18 May
- 12 October
- 6 December
These cover the state-run museums — Cerralbo, Sorolla, Romanticism and the National Archaeological Museum among them. 18 May is International Museum Day, and it is the busiest of the four by a wide margin.
Every window above is transcribed from the individual guide for that museum, each checked against the venue's own site. Museums do change these — if you are planning a whole evening around one, confirm on the official site the week you travel. Fuller context in the free things to do in Madrid guide, and the museum roundup.