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sights & monuments

MADRID on a budget

Contemplating masterpieces of world art such as Las Meninas and Guernica in person need not cost you a penny. Thanks to the enormous range of culture and leisure activities on offer in Madrid, you are sure to find free events of all kinds during your visit, plus special free or reduced entrance times, so that you can make the most of your stay, whatever your budget.

Always free

• Temple of Debod: near the Royal Palace lies this authentic Egyptian building, dating over two thousand years, which was given as a gift to Spain by the Egyptian government. You can visit it for free from Tuesday to Sunday, and, since it is located in a public park, you can see the outside of the monument any day and at any time, although in our opinion the best views are at sunset.
• National Archaeological Museum: the exhibits in this museum, taken from both royal collections and Spanish archaeological sites, comprise pieces which tell the history of the entire Iberian Peninsula. They include the Visigothic treasure of Guarrazar and the Iberian sculpture known as the Lady of Elche. At the moment, and until later on in 2011, the museum is undergoing renovation work, during which time the exhibition Treasures of the National Archaeological Museum, a compendium of the best pieces from the different collections, is on show and can be enjoyed free of charge.
• CaixaForum Madrid: located on Madrid's famous Art Walk, this cultural centre, belonging to the La Caixa Foundation, hosts some interesting temporary exhibitions and admission to it is completely free. Inside an impressive building by the architects Herzog & de Meuron, built over a factory dating back to the early 20th century, the entrance to the centre is decorated with a vertical garden, designed by French artist Patrick Blanc.
• Mapfre Cultural Foundation. Recoletos and Azca: the Mapfre Foundation has two spaces, one on the Art Walk (on Paseo de Recoletos) and another in the Azca complex, on Paseo de la Castellana. Their temporary art exhibitions, always major events in the art world, are free.
• San Antonio de la Florida Chapel: this small temple holds a special surprise: the frescoes on its magnificent dome were painted in 1798 by no other than Francisco de Goya, whose remains also rest here. Entry to the church, declared a National Monument in 1905, is free of charge.
• Public Art Museum: this gem is among the least known museums in Madrid, and is a rare treat for lovers of abstract sculpture. Located outdoors on Paseo de la Castellana, underneath an overpass, it features seventeen sculptures by some of the biggest names in Spanish art, including Joan Miró, Gerardo Rueda, Eduardo Chillida, Martín Chirino, Julio González and Pablo Palazuelo.
• Museum of Contemporary Art: located in the former military barracks of Conde Duque, the rooms of this museum are home to a collection of over 200 works of contemporary art - from the avant-garde movements of the early 20th century onwards - belonging to the City Council of Madrid.
• Entry to both the Museum of the City and the Museum of Origins (Casa de San Isidro) is free. Whilst in the former you can learn about the history of Madrid from prehistoric times up to the present day, the latter displays part of the archaeological heritage and physical evidence that illustrates the different cultures that have left their marks on the city.
• National Library Museum: this temple to Spanish culture features several spaces in which part of the library's vast collection is put on public display, in shows which are always related in some way to the history of Spanish culture.
• Telefónica Foundation: the historic headquarters of Telefónica stands tall in the middle of Gran Vía and today houses the company's foundation. Here, there is an all-year-round programme of different art exhibitions, with a particular emphasis on photography.
• Caja Madrid Foundation: the Alhajas exhibition hall is another space in the centre of the city dedicated to exhibiting the work of important visual artists. It often organises shows in collaboration with the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation, although the exhibitions hosted in the latter are not free.
• Juan March Foundation: this centre regularly puts on major temporary exhibitions and has an ongoing programme of chamber music concerts, and all have free admission.Canal Foundation: situated in the old water cisterns of the Canal de Isabel II in Plaza de Castilla, this multi-purpose cultural centre regularly plays host to free musical recitals.  
• La Casa Encendida: in this multi-purpose space you can find free visual art exhibitions as well as audiovisual shows, film screenings, concerts, dance, and other performing arts productions at very reasonable prices or even for free.
• FNAC Callao: Fnac stores are open every day of the week and the branch on Calle Preciados also has exhibition and events spaces, where concerts and presentations are regularly held, and always with free entry.
• Cervantes Institute: the official institution in charge of disseminating Spanish language and culture has a major centre for exhibitions, talks and other cultural events in its main headquarters on Calle Alcalá
• Lope de Vega House and Museum: the house where the famous 17th-century playwright lived and died contains in its interior a faithful recreation of a period home, and holds an important collection of artistic and literary objects, including several manuscripts written by this genius of the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
• Other cultural centres: a number of other institutions also feature comprehensive programmes of exhibitions, musical performances, lectures and film screenings, including Casa Árabe, Casa Asia and Casa de América, which work to promote in Madrid the cultures of the Arab world, the Orient and the Americas, respectively. The Blanquerna Cultural Centre, meanwhile, champions the culture of Catalonia. The Goethe Institut and the Institut Français, which work to disseminate the German and French languages, respectively, and the Istituto Europeo di Design school all organize numerous events throughout the week, also with free entry.
• Madrid Municipal Symphony Band: this venerable orchestra gives frequent concerts in spring and summer at the bandstand in the park of El Retiro, as part of its regular season of outdoor music. With a programme that tends to pay tribute to the best Spanish composers, every Sunday at midday dozens of people attend these concerts, either occupying one of the seats set out for the occasion or simply gathering in the nearby parts of the park, in order to enjoy a first-rate musical performance.

Free on specific days and at certain times

• Prado Museum: Spain's most important art gallery offers free entry to its permanent collection Tuesday to Saturday between 6pm and 8pm and on Sundays and public holidays between 5pm and 7pm, giving you the chance to contemplate, amongst many other works, Velázquez's Las Meninas and Goya's The Family of Charles IV.
• Reina Sofa Museum: another essential stop on Madrid's Art Walk is the Reina Sofía, which is home to international art treasures such as Picasso's Guernica, and showcases the work of leading contemporary artists. It also organises free exhibitions in the Glass Palace, the museum's sister site located in El Retiro Park. Entry to the museum is free Monday to Friday (except on Tuesdays when it closes) between 7pm and 9pm, on Saturdays between 2.30pm and 9pm and on Sundays between 10am and 2.30pm, when it shuts for the day. 
• Royal Palace: as with all of the monuments in Madrid managed by the Spanish National Heritage (Patrimonio Nacional), on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons citizens from the EU and Latin American countries, as well as large families (at least one parent and three children), can visit the palace for free. To do so, you will need to present an ID card or the corresponding documentation. Built in the 18th century, this palace is worth visiting to see its luxurious rooms and halls, its armoury and its room of musical instruments, which includes five Stradivarius violins. Make sure you remember to take a stroll through the adjoining gardens of El Moro and Sabatini.
• Like the Royal Palace, other monuments run by Spain's National Heritage, such as the Descalzas Reales Monastery and the Royal Monastery of the Encarnación are also free on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons for those people mentioned above. The same goes for the Royal Palace of El Pardo, a 16th-century palace of great artistic and cultural value, first built at the orders of Henry IV and later rebuilt by Charles I and Philip II.
• Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando: also offering free entry on Wednesdays, this museum, apart from hosting temporary exhibitions, features a permanent collection containing more than 1,400 paintings, 600 sculptures and 15,000 drawings, along with numerous pieces of decorative art.
• Sorolla Museum: the house and museum of painter Joaquín Sorolla contains what is thought to be the widest and most representative collection of his work, with drawings, paintings and personal objects from the daily life of the Valencia-born artist. The museum is free to enter on Sundays.
• Garment Museum: this ethnological heritage research centre is dedicated to disseminating the evolution of clothing and fashion throughout history. It offers free entry on Saturdays between 2.30pm and 7pm (closing time) and on Sundays until its closing time of 3pm.
• Museum of the Americas: 25,000 objects, including pre-Columbian, ethnographic and colonial pieces, tell the history of the Americas in this exhibition centre, which is free to enter on Sundays until closing time, at 3pm.
• Lázaro Galdiano Museum: this museum exhibits one of the most important private art collections in the country - that of José Lázaro Galdiano, who, at his death in 1947, bequeathed to the foundation that bears his name a considerable number of works of European art, including paintings by El Greco, Goya, Murillo and John Constable. The museum offers free admission on Sundays.
• National Museum of Anthropology: dedicated to the study and exhibition of different cultures of the world, this museum features, among other things, exhibits of clothes, utensils and decorative arts of diverse ethnic groups from across the globe. Entry is free on Saturdays from 2pm and on Sundays until 3pm (closing time for that day).

At affordable prices

• Filmoteca Española (Spanish Film Library, Cine Doré): the old Cine Doré cinema, a beautiful modernist building, is today the home of the Spanish Film Library (Filmoteca Española). Its two indoor and one open-air summer screens offer an all-year-round programme of the very best films from the history of world cinema, all in their original languages and at bargain prices (€2.50 per ticket).
• Fine Arts Circle: this important cultural and intellectual centre, an architectural landmark on the axis formed by the streets of Alcalá and Gran Vía, offers a regular programme of visual arts and cinema. Entry to the centre, including access to all of the different exhibitions, costs just 1 euro, whilst the film screenings, which have a separate entrance, cost 4 euros.
• Royal Botanical Garden: designed in the 18th century, this oasis of peace is arranged into three terraces which, together with the glasshouse, contain more than 30,000 plant species from all over the world. A visit to see the impressive rose garden and the ancient trees provide the perfect highlight to one of the most romantic strolls in Madrid, and all for an entrance fee of 2 euros.
• El Retiro Puppet Theatre: throughout the year, El Retiro Park features puppet shows for children every weekend, at midday in the winter and in the afternoon in summertime. Anyone is free to attend the performances, since they take place outdoors in a public space, although the audience is encouraged to give a donation to the actors at the end of each show.

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