The Prado Museum has free hours every single day, and half of Madrid knows it. So the useful question isn't just when, but how long you'll queue and what you'll have time to see. Here are the free entry times checked on the official website, who always gets in free and how to make the most of the hour and a half you get inside.
Prado Museum free hours
| Day | Free hours | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 18:00 to 20:00 | 19:30 |
| Sundays and public holidays | 17:00 to 19:00 | 18:30 |
| 6 January, 24 and 31 December | Closes at 14:00 | — |
| 1 January, 1 May and 25 December | Closed | — |
Three things the table doesn't tell you:
- Only the permanent collection is free. Temporary exhibitions aren't included, though they're half price during those hours.
- Entry closes half an hour before closing and the galleries are cleared 10 minutes before closing. Go in at 18:15 and you have just under an hour and a half.
- There's no weekly closing day. It's open on Mondays too, which is a good day for the free hours.
Who gets in free at any time
If you're in one of these groups, you don't need the free hours: you can go in whenever you like. According to the museum's website:
- Under-18s.
- Students aged 18 to 25.
- Unemployed visitors and working teachers.
- People with a disability of 33% or more.
- Large families as defined by the museum (one adult with three children, or two if one has a disability).
- Official tour guides, journalists and some professional associations.
You need to show valid proof at the box office on the day. Over-65s, youth card holders and other large-family members pay the reduced rate, €7.50.
Free days and El Prado de noche
On a few days the Prado doesn't charge at all. The usual ones are 18 May (International Museum Day), 12 October and 19 November, the museum's anniversary; this year the 19th is a Thursday. The museum confirms them each year on its website, so check before planning your trip around them. Those are the longest queues of the year.
The lesser-known option is El Prado de noche: on the first Saturday of every month, from 20:30 to 23:30, the Jerónimos building opens for free, with entry through the Jerónimos Gate and last entry at 23:00. There are no tickets: it's first come, first served until capacity is reached. The next one is Saturday 7 November.
The real queue: when to get there
The free-hours queue forms by the Goya Gate, on the north side of the building, where the box office is. It starts well before 18:00 and on Sundays, holidays and long weekends the wait can go past an hour.
- Weekdays: arrive at least 30 minutes early. Monday to Thursday, outside bank holidays, is usually your best bet.
- Sundays and holidays: expect a longer wait and less museum time, as it closes at 19:00.
- Don't turn up at 18:00 sharp. By the time you reach the box office you've lost a good chunk of your time.
What to see in the free two hours
In practice you get an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half. Try to see everything and you'll see nothing. This short route covers the essentials:
- Velázquez (floor 1): Las Meninas, The Spinners and the court portraits. Start here: it's the room that fills up most.
- Goya (floor 1): The Family of Charles IV and the two Majas.
- Goya on floor 0: The Second of May, The Third of May and the Black Paintings, including Saturn.
- Bosch (floor 0): The Garden of Earthly Delights. Give it ten minutes; it's a painting to look at up close.
- If you have time left: Van der Weyden's Descent from the Cross or El Greco's Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest.
Pick up the free floor plan at the entrance and mark these works before you start.
Do you need to book free entry online?
No. The official site, entradas.museodelprado.es, sells paid timed tickets. Free-hours tickets are handed out at the box office until capacity is reached, so there's no way to secure them in advance. Be wary of any site offering to "book the Prado free hours" for a booking fee.
Common mistakes
- Assuming free hours include the temporary exhibition. Permanent collection only; temporary shows are half price.
- Going on the afternoon of 24 or 31 December or 6 January. It closes at 14:00 on those days.
- Forgetting your ID, student card or certificate if you qualify for free entry.
- Using the free hours for your only visit to the Prado. If this is your first and maybe last time, an hour and a half in crowded rooms falls short.
The paid option: €15 and no queue
General admission is €15 on the official website and at the box office, and there's no time limit once you're in. At 10:00, with the museum half empty, you'll see in three hours what the free slot never allows. If the official site doesn't have the time you want, the resold Prado Museum entry ticket€18 · 4.7 starts at €18, and the guided tour with entry€49 · 4.9 at €49. What to do if it sells out and how the box office works is in our Prado Museum tickets guide.
Other free museums near the Prado
Two more museums with free hours are a five-minute walk away:
| Museum | Free hours |
|---|---|
| Reina Sofía (Guernica) | Monday and Wednesday to Saturday, 19:00 to 21:00; Sundays, 12:30 to 14:30 |
| Thyssen-Bornemisza | Mondays, 12:00 to 16:00 (permanent collection) |
On a Monday you can combine the free Thyssen at midday with the Prado from 18:00. The Reina Sofía's free hours overlap with the Prado's, so save it for another day. If you'd rather pay for one, compare them in Prado vs Reina Sofía vs Thyssen. More free plans in Madrid on a budget.
In one sentence
The Prado is free from 18:00 to 20:00 Monday to Saturday and 17:00 to 19:00 on Sundays, with no booking and a queue at the Goya Gate: arrive half an hour early, head straight for Velázquez, Goya and Bosch, and if it's your only visit, pay the €15 and go in the morning.
