Museo Reina Sofía

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The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia is packed to the rafters with incredible art from the 20th century. The most famous piece on display is Picasso’s Guernica, but you’ll also find works from Juan Gris, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miró. It’s one of the most popular art galleries in the world, so book your skip-the-line tickets in advance to avoid the long lines!

By Maurizio Massaro

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Paseo del Arte Ticket

Save money with this combo-ticket that gives you access to the collections of the Prado, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Museo Reina Sofia.

Paseo del Arte Card: Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen

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Private Combo Tour Prado Museum and Reina Sofia

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Guided Tours

Discover more about 20th-century art on a tour with an expert guide.

Madrid: Reina Sofía Museum Guided Tour

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Madrid: Prado & Reina Sofía Museums Guided Tour

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Madrid: Reina Sofia Museum Skip-the-Line Guided Museum Tour

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Prado & Reina Sofia Museums Guided Tour

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More Tickets & Tours

Browse even more products that include a trip to the Museo Reina Sofia.

Madrid: Reina Sofía Museum Entrance Ticket

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Madrid: Reina Sofia Museum Private Tour with Skip-the-Line

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4 tips for visiting the Museo Reina Sofía

Museo Reina Sofia Entrance | Flickr: Rubén Vique CC BY 2.0

The Early Bird Catches the WormArrive at the museum as early as you can, since a large swell of visitors arrives around lunchtime every day. Museo Reina Sofia is one of the most-visited art museums in the world, with nearly 3.9 million visitors in 2018, so the crowds can be intense. The evenings can also be busy since entry is free on certain days between 7 pm and 9 pm (more details below).

Whole Courtyard | Flickr: Pier Paolo Cedaro CC BY-ND 2.0

Save money with the Paseo del Arte TicketThe Paseo del Arte is a combo-ticket that includes entry to the Museo Reina Sofia, the Prado, and the Museo Thyssen Bornemisza, the three most important and popular art museums in Madrid. Once you buy it, you have a year to visit all three museums.

Check the Program for the DayThe Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia hosts regular film screenings, lectures, special tours, and performances. If you’re interested in finding out more, it’s worth checking the museum’s official website to see what’s on while you’re visiting Madrid.

Take a Break in Buen Retiro ParkAfter a long day exploring the museum, you’ll probably want to rest your tired eyes! The beautiful Buen Retiro Park is just across the road from the Museo Reina Sofia and is a great spot to unwind while enjoying the greenery, especially when the weather’s good.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get into the Museo Reina Sofia without paying?

On most days you’ll need to buy a ticket to visit the museum. However, entry is free from 7 pm to 9 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Watch out though, since these free evenings can be busier than normal. You can also enter the museum for free all day on April 18, May 18, October 12, and December 6. Read more.

What are the most important things to see in the Museo Reina Sofia?

The single best-known painting in the Museo Reina Sofia is Guernica by Pablo Picasso. The painting combines elements of Christian art with cubism in a huge format and was painted by Picasso in 1937 following the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica. The airstrikes by the German Condor Legion and the Italian Truppe Volontarie are considered the first time a civilian population was deliberately bombed in order to cause terror, rather than to hit an important piece of infrastructure or a site of military significance. The exact number of casualties is unknown, estimates range from 153 to 1,654 deaths. The Nazis went on to use this method of air raids throughout their campaign in Europe. Picasso artistic response shows the horrors of war and is one of the best-known anti-war and anti-fascist paintings in existence.

There are several other must-see paintings in the collection including Joan Miró’s Painting (Man with a Pipe), Francis Bacon’s Lying Figure, and several different works by the master of surrealism, Salvador Dalí. The museum has over 20,000 pieces in its collection, so you might want to take a guided tour to make sure that you see all of the most important and most interesting works of art. Read more.

How long should I plan for my visit?

Even if you’re only planning to look at the museum’s highlights, you’ll need to spend at least two hours exploring. Due to its large size and the depth and quality of its collection, art-lovers can easily spend a whole day inside the Museo Reina Sofia. The official guided tours take between 20 minutes and two hours, depending on the version you choose, and you’ll probably want to plan in some time to explore independently after the tour ends. Read more.

Is it possible to eat at the Museo Reina Sofia?

The museum is home to two restaurants: Arzábal, which serves traditional Spanish food with an innovative twist, and NuBel, a bistro and cocktail bar. NuBel also offers brunch on Sundays, and their stew of the day costs a reasonable €7. In the summer months, you might prefer to bring your own food along and enjoy a picnic in the beautiful Retiro Park. Eating and drinking aren’t permitted in the exhibition rooms of the museum. Read more.

Is the museum accessible?

The Museo Reina Sofia has invested heavily in accessibility in recent years. The whole building can be accessed by wheelchair users, with staff spread around the building who can advise the best routes. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are permitted, although access is easier if you let the museum know in advance that you’ll be visiting with a trained assistance dog. A brochure containing visitor information is available in both braille and large print from the information desk. A Spanish Sign Language interpreter is available to interpret guided tours and other activities hosted by the museum, though you may need to contact the visitor services to request that they are present. The ticket desks and the information desk are fitted with induction loops for visitors with hearing aids. Individual audio guides can also be rented in Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, and a hearing loop that is compatible with the equipment can be borrowed without an extra charge. Visitors who are registered as disabled can visit the museum free of charge, as can one companion. Read more.

General information

opening hours

The main buildings (the Sabatini and Nouvel Buildings) are open from 10 am to 9 pm on Mondays and from Wednesday to Saturday. On Sundays, the museum is open from 10 am to 2:30 pm, but the ticket office closes at 2 pm. The main museum is closed on Tuesdays. The buildings in the Parque del Retiro, the Palacio de Velázquez and the Palacio de Cristal are open daily, From April to September the buildings are open from 10 am to 10 pm, in March and October they open from 10 am to 7 pm, and from January to February and November to December, they’re open from 10 am to 6 pm. If you’re visiting Madrid on a public holiday then make sure to check the museum opening times before you visit as they may vary.

address

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
Calle de Santa Isabel 52
28012 Madrid
Spain

tickets

Tickets for the Museo Reina Sofia cost €12. Visitors under the age of 18, students up to the age of 25, unemployed visitors, and registered disabled visitors and one companion can enter free of charge.

Free entry applies to all visitors from 7 pm to 9 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. On Sundays, areas of the museum are open free of charge from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm.

how to get there

You can reach the Museo Reina Sofia by taking either metro line 1 to Estación del Arte or line 3 to Lavapiés station. You can also reach the museum by taking bus numbers 6, 10, 14, 19, 26, 27, 32, 34, 36, 37, 41, 45, 59, 85, 86, 102, 119, C1, C2, or E1, which all stop nearby. The museum is also within walking distance of the train station Atocha-RENFE. You can also park your car at the train station, the Plaza Sáncez Bustillo, or the Plaza Juan Goytisolo for a fee.

Written byMaurizio MassaroMaurizio is a cosmopolitan, a musician and comes around. In his role as a content manager at TicketLens, he is always striving to find new offers as well as writing about sights all over the world.

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