# Reina Sofía Museum, Madrid > The Reina Sofía is Spain's national museum of 20th-century art and the third corner of the Golden Triangle with the Prado and the Thyssen. It fills a huge former 18th-century city hospital by Atocha station, extended with glass lift towers and a new wing by Jean Nouvel. It holds Madrid's largest collections of Picasso, Dalí and Miró; allow 2 to 3 hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/spain/madrid/reina-sofia - City: [Madrid](https://yesgo.io/spain/madrid), Spain - YesGo score: 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h 30 min - Opening hours: Mon, Wed–Sun; closed Tuesday - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Paid, book online - Free: Weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons - Closed: Tuesday - Highlights: Picasso, Dalí, Miró, Juan Gris - Time needed: 2–3 hours - Location: By Atocha station, Estación del Arte metro (L1) - Coordinates: 40.40857, -3.69400 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1992** — opened as a national museum (source: English Wikipedia) - **18th c.** — the former hospital building was built (source: English Wikipedia) - **2005** — Jean Nouvel's wing opened (source: English Wikipedia) - **20th c.** — the focus of the collection (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Reina Sofía The museum occupies the former **city general hospital**, built in the 18th century to designs by the architect Francesco Sabatini. In the 1980s it was turned into an arts centre, and in **1992** it opened as a national museum named after Queen Sofía. Two **glass lift towers** were added to the austere façade and became the museum's emblem. In **2005** a new wing by **Jean Nouvel** opened: three buildings around a courtyard under a vast red canopy roof, housing a library, temporary exhibition halls and a café. Together, the Prado, the Thyssen and the Reina Sofía form the Golden Triangle of Art, with the Reina Sofía covering the 20th century and today. ## What to see The core of the permanent collection is the second floor, devoted to the first half of the 20th century. It holds Madrid's largest collection of **Pablo Picasso**, from early portraits to work of the 1930s, plus the Cubism of **Juan Gris** and Georges Braque. Nearby are rooms of **Salvador Dalí**'s surrealist paintings and **Joan Miró**'s bright signs and figures. The fourth floor covers the second half of the century: Spanish abstraction by Antoni Tàpies and Eduardo Chillida, Pop Art, photography and video. Many galleries sit in the old hospital wards around a shady inner garden with sculpture, where you can step out for a break. ## What to see at the Reina Sofía - **Picasso** — Madrid's largest collection of his work. - **Dalí** — surrealist paintings of the 1920s and 30s. - **Miró** — bright signs and figures. - **Juan Gris** — Spanish Cubism. - **Tàpies and Chillida** — art from the later 20th century. - **The glass lifts** — city views from the upper floors. > **When entry is free** Weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons are usually free, but queues form early and there's little time to look around. For a calm visit to the main galleries, book a morning ticket online. The museum is closed on Tuesdays. ## The building and Nouvel's wing The museum is worth seeing as architecture too. Ride a **glass lift** to the top floor and look out through its transparent walls over the square, Atocha station and Madrid's rooftops. The old hospital's inner **garden**, with trees and sculpture, is one of the quietest spots in the centre. **Jean Nouvel**'s wing is linked to the old building by walkways. Beneath its red roof is an open courtyard where anyone can sit for free, along with a library and a bookshop. It often hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists from around the world. ## How to get to the museum 1. Metro: **Estación del Arte** (L1), a 2-minute walk. 2. Commuter trains and **Atocha** station are across the square. 3. From the [Prado Museum](https://yesgo.io/spain/madrid/prado-museum), about 10 minutes south along the Paseo del Prado. 4. The main entrance is in the Sabatini building, on Calle de Santa Isabel. ## Tips for your visit The museum is huge, so decide on your priorities: on a first visit, start with the second floor, Picasso, Dalí and Miró, before moving on to later art. Two hours covers the main galleries; with temporary shows, allow up to half a day. Large bags go to the cloakroom. Photos without flash are allowed in most rooms, but banned in some, so watch for the signs. The café and restaurant in the Nouvel wing are open to non-visitors too. It combines easily with the Botanical Garden and the Prado on the same boulevard and with Retiro Park. Next door, Atocha station has a tropical garden inside its old hall, and high-speed trains leave from here for Toledo and Seville. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Check it isn't a Tuesday - [ ] Book a morning ticket online - [ ] Start on the second floor - [ ] Ride a glass lift - [ ] Sit in the courtyard under Nouvel's red roof ## Places in Madrid: compare and choose Places in Madrid rated by YesGo. - [Santiago Bernabéu Stadium](https://yesgo.io/spain/madrid/santiago-bernabeu) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 45 min · Paid - [Prado Museum](https://yesgo.io/spain/madrid/prado-museum) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h 30 min · Paid - [Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum](https://yesgo.io/spain/madrid/thyssen-museum) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Paid - [Reina Sofía Museum](https://yesgo.io/spain/madrid/reina-sofia) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Paid; free evenings ## Don't mix it up The Reina Sofía is the 20th-century museum; the Prado is for the old masters. They're 10 minutes apart on the same boulevard. ## Tips - Closed on Tuesdays. - Start on the second floor. - Free hours in the evening. - Atocha and the Prado are close. ## Questions ### What is there to see at the Reina Sofía? Collections of Picasso, Dalí, Miró and Juan Gris, plus art from the later 20th century. ### When is the Reina Sofía free? Usually on weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons; check the museum's site. ### What day is the Reina Sofía closed? Tuesday. ### How long do you need at the museum? 2 to 3 hours for the main galleries. ### How do I get to the Reina Sofía? By metro to Estación del Arte (L1) or on foot from Atocha station. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Hours, prices, free times and the closing day weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía - Official site, museoreinasofia.es --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.