Free entry hours at Madrid's big museums

All three museums on the Paseo del Prado have a free window every week. The times below are copied from each museum's own page. Where the live site blocks automated checks, we used an archived copy and say so. Checked on 8 October 2026.

The three big museums

Museum	Free entry	Regular ticket	Source
Museo del Prado	Mon–Sat 18:00–20:00; Sundays and public holidays 17:00–19:00	€15	Museum website
Museo Reina Sofía	Mon and Wed–Sat 19:00–21:00; Sun 12:30–14:30. Closed Tuesdays	€12	Museum website
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza	Mondays 12:00–16:00	€14	Museum website

Museo del Prado

• Free: Monday to Saturday 18:00–20:00, and Sundays and public holidays 17:00–19:00. This applies to all visitors.
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00–20:00, Sundays and public holidays 10:00–19:00. The free window is the last two hours of the day.
• Closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. On 6 January, 24 December and 31 December the museum opens 10:00–14:00 only.
• A regular ticket costs €15 (€7.50 with a concession).

Times from the Prado's own visit page (archived copy of 7 September 2026; the live site blocks automated checks), and they match esMADRID's page. The free window covers the Collection; temporary exhibitions are half price. Entry closes 30 minutes before closing time.

Museo Reina Sofía

• Free: Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 19:00–21:00, and Sunday 12:30–14:30. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.
• You still need a ticket for the free hours. The museum says you can book it online.
• Free admission during these hours is for individual visitors only, not groups.
• Free all day on 18 April, 18 and 22 May, 12 October and 6 December.
• Closed on 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 15 May, 9 November, and 24, 25 and 31 December. The museum notes that 15 May and 9 November can vary with the Community of Madrid's calendar.
• General admission costs €12.

esMADRID's Reina Sofía page gives a different Sunday window (14:30–15:30) and lists 23 May instead of 22 May. We use the museum's own page.

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

• Free: Mondays 12:00–16:00. On Mondays the museum is only open during those hours.
• Saturdays 21:00–23:00: free entry to the temporary exhibitions on the ground floor and level −1. esMADRID adds that if no temporary exhibition is on, the free entry applies to the Carmen Thyssen Collection.
• Under-18s get in free every day.
• Closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Open 10:00–15:00 on 24 and 31 December.
• No ticket is needed for the free Monday (12:00–16:00) or Saturday-night (21:00–23:00) slots. Just walk in.
• A general ticket costs €14.

Times from the Thyssen's own opening-hours page (archived copy of 25 September 2026).

Other free windows

These free slots are listed on each venue's esMADRID page, and for the Royal Collections Gallery on Patrimonio Nacional's ticket site:

• Royal Palace: free Monday to Thursday 16:00–18:00 in winter (October to March), or 17:00–19:00 the rest of the year. This is only for EU citizens, EU residents, holders of EU work permits and citizens of Ibero-American countries. You will be asked for proof. Last entry is one hour before closing.
• Royal Collections Gallery: free Monday to Thursday 18:00–20:00 for EU citizens and residents, EU work-permit holders and Ibero-American citizens, with proof of nationality or residence, and for self-guided visits only. Free for everyone on 18 May and 12 October. A regular ticket costs €14.
• National Archaeological Museum: free on Saturdays from 14:00, on Sunday mornings, and on 18 April, 18 May, 12 October and 6 December. Closed on Mondays. A regular ticket costs €3.
• Lázaro Galdiano Museum: free Tuesday to Friday 14:00–15:00. Closed on Mondays. A regular ticket costs €8.

Before you go

• Free windows change, and so do holiday closures. Check the museum's own website on the day you go.
• The museums publish free-entry rules for some groups of visitors, such as under-18s and students. These depend on the museum, so check its concessions page.