The Reina Sofía Museum (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía) is Spain’s national museum of modern and contemporary art, near Atocha station in Madrid, and the home of Picasso’s Guernica. As of October 2026 a ticket costs €12, and it is free Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 19:00–21:00 and Sunday 12:30–14:30. It opens Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 10:00–21:00 and Sunday 10:00–14:30, and is closed on Tuesdays. The museum suggests about two hours; 14:00–18:00 is the quietest time.
Right now in Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
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Tickets and tours for Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
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Why the Reina Sofía matters
The main building, named after its architect Francisco Sabatini, was built in the 18th century as the Hospital de San Carlos, Madrid’s general hospital. The Reina Sofía art centre was given national museum status in 1988 to bring together the state’s scattered modern art, and its permanent collection opened in 1992. Glass lift towers were added to the old façade, and later a red-roofed extension by the French architect Jean Nouvel.
Two arrivals made the collection. Salvador Dalí left works to the state in his will in 1990, and in July 1992 Picasso’s Guernica was moved here from the Prado’s Casón del Buen Retiro, where it had hung since it came to Spain in 1981. In 1995 a royal decree fixed 1881, the year Picasso was born, as the dividing line: older art belongs to the Prado, later art to the Reina Sofía.
What you’ll see
Guernica, Picasso’s huge black, white and grey painting of the bombing of the Basque town in 1937, hangs on Floor 2 of the Sabatini Building, shown with his preparatory sketches. Around it, the collection tells the story of modern art from a Spanish point of view: Picasso, Dalí, Miró and Julio González, as well as women artists long left out of the canon, such as Maruja Mallo, Ángeles Santos and Remedios Varo, and photographs by Robert Capa. More of the collection fills Floor 4, and the Nouvel Building hosts big temporary exhibitions.
In the Retiro park, the museum also runs two free exhibition halls: the Palacio de Velázquez, reopened in June 2026, and the Palacio de Cristal, which is closed for restoration as of October 2026, though an installation outside can still be seen.
Tickets and how to visit
From the museum’s official website, as of October 2026:
- General admission: €12 (collection and temporary exhibitions); €18 for two visits within a year; €18 with a mobile audio guide. Audio guide devices are €6.
- Free: under-18s, over-65s and students, at the ticket offices with proof; visitors with a disability of 33% or more plus an essential companion. Large families and some other groups pay half.
- Free hours: Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 19:00–21:00; Sunday 12:30–14:30. You still need a ticket, which can be booked online; free hours are for individuals only.
- Free days: 18 April, 18 and 22 May, 12 October and 6 December.
- Closed: every Tuesday, and on 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 15 May, 9 November, and 24, 25 and 31 December.
- Timed tickets: outside the free hours every ticket has a time slot. Once inside you can leave and come back the same day. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing, and the rooms are cleared 15 minutes before.
- Paseo del Arte pass: €32.80 for the Reina Sofía, Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza.
- Photos: allowed without flash, tripods or selfie sticks unless a sign says otherwise.
How long to allow and when to go
About two hours for Guernica and the Floor 2 collection; more if you add Floor 4 or a temporary show. The busiest times are 10:00–12:00 and the start of the free hours at 19:00; between 14:00 and 18:00 it is noticeably calmer. Don’t plan it for a Tuesday. The galleries are kept at 21 °C all year, so bring a layer in summer.
Accessibility
Almost all public areas have wheelchair access, with ramps, accessible toilets and lifts: two lift towers either side of the Sabatini entrance serve Floors 1–4, and two lifts in the Nouvel Building serve Floors 0–3. The Sabatini Building is old, so some routes are signposted, and the Vaults Room is not accessible. Wheelchairs and folding seats can be borrowed at the information points, and there is a priority ticket office.
Getting there
The nearest metro stations are Estación del Arte (line 1) and Lavapiés (line 3). Atocha station, with Cercanías and long-distance trains, is a five-minute walk. If you already have an online ticket, use the covered Nouvel Building entrance at Ronda de Atocha 2; the main Sabatini entrance is on Plaza de Juan Goytisolo.
Combine it with
The Prado Museum is 700 metres up the Paseo del Prado, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza a little further, so the three museums of the “Golden Triangle of Art” are easy to walk between, though not all in one day. Lavapiés, behind the museum, is great for a cheap lunch. See our Madrid travel guide and our city sightseeing guide.
Reina Sofía Museum FAQ
Is the Reina Sofía closed on Tuesdays?
Yes. It opens every other day: Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 10:00–21:00 and Sunday 10:00–14:30.
When is the Reina Sofía free?
Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 19:00–21:00 and Sunday 12:30–14:30, plus 18 April, 18 and 22 May, 12 October and 6 December (as of October 2026). Book a free ticket online.
Where is Guernica in the Reina Sofía?
On Floor 2 of the Sabatini Building, the original hospital building, together with Picasso’s preparatory works.
Can you take photos in the Reina Sofía?
Generally yes, without flash, tripods or selfie sticks, unless a room is signposted otherwise.
How long do you need at the Reina Sofía?
The museum recommends about two hours. That’s enough for Guernica and the main collection on Floor 2.
Is the Reina Sofía included in the Paseo del Arte pass?
Yes. The Paseo del Arte pass, €32.80 as of October 2026, covers the Reina Sofía, the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza.