Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

Museum Contemporary art museum housing Picasso's Guernica

Madrid’s Reina Sofía houses twentieth-century Spanish and international modern art, including Picasso’s Guernica; visitors come for contemporary painting, sculpture and regular temporary shows.

Main image

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is Spain’s national museum for 20th-century and contemporary art, located in Madrid near the Atocha rail station. The museum was established as a national institution in the late 20th century and occupies a converted 18th-century hospital building with contemporary additions.

Its permanent collection focuses on modern and contemporary Spanish and international art, with strong holdings in the early to mid-20th century and works by major Spanish artists. The museum also presents temporary exhibitions, installations and performance programmes.

The core museum project converted and extended the former Hospital of San Carlos into gallery space and the institution opened to the public as a national museum in the early 1990s. Subsequent building adaptations and new galleries expanded its exhibition capacity.

The Reina Sofía sits on the Paseo del Prado/Atocha axis in central Madrid, adjacent to the Atocha station and within Madrid’s main museum district alongside the Prado and Thyssen museums.

  • National modern art collection: The museum is Spain's national museum of 20th-century art and holds one of the nation's most important modern art collections.
  • Guernica: Pablo Picasso's Guernica is a central work in the collection and is displayed in a dedicated gallery within the museum.

What to See #

  • Guernica Room: A purpose-built gallery and viewing space created to display Pablo Picasso's Guernica alongside related studies and works from the same period.
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
Calle de Santa Isabel, 52, 28012 Madrid, Spain
40.4086, -3.6940
Tue-Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 10am-7pm; closed Mondays (check website for variations).
General admission €10-€15; reduced rates for youth/seniors and free entry on certain nights (check website for current prices).

How to Get to Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía #

The Reina Sofía is a short walk from Atocha train station (Renfe) and is well served by metro lines (Atocha station on Line 1). Buses and taxis are plentiful in the area.

Tips for Visiting Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía #

  • Buy timed tickets for special exhibitions to avoid long queues.
  • Visit late afternoon to catch quieter galleries and good light in the central courtyard.
  • The Reina Sofía is near Atocha station - combine a museum visit with a stroll through the Atocha tropical garden.

Best Time to Visit Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía #

Timely ticketing and visiting outside peak tourist months creates a far more relaxed experience.

Autumn-spring (quieter)
October-May · 5-22°C
Fewer tourists and comfortable gallery visits.
Summer (busy)
June-August · 25-35°C
Many visitors; use early-morning or late-afternoon slots to avoid peak crowds.

Weather & Climate near Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía #

Climate

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía's climate is classified as Cold Semi-Arid - Cold Semi-Arid climate with warm summers (peaking in July) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 2°C to 32°C. Semi-arid with limited rainfall.

Air Quality: AQI 45 Good
Best Time to Visit
JulyAugustJune
Temperature & Rainfall
Temperature Range
41°
Warmest Month
-9°
Coldest Month
Monthly Conditions

January

January is the coolest month with highs of 10°C and lows of 2°C. Moderate rainfall (40 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

65 Good

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
10°
84%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

40 mm
Rainfall
2.0 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.3
UV Index
Low
9.5h daylight

February

February is cold with highs of 12°C and lows of 3°C. Moderate rainfall (33 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

65 Good

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
12°
78%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

33 mm
Rainfall
2.4 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.5
UV Index
Low
10.5h daylight

March

March is cool with highs of 16°C and lows of 5°C. Light rainfall and partly cloudy skies.

73 Very Good

Comfort

11°
Feels Like Cool
11°C
Temperature
16°
73%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

25 mm
Rainfall
2.5 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.9
UV Index
Moderate
11.8h daylight

April

April is cool with highs of 18°C and lows of 7°C. Moderate rainfall (45 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

69 Good

Comfort

12°
Feels Like Cool
12°C
Temperature
18°
69%
Humidity
Humid

Weather

45 mm
Rainfall
2.7 m/s
Wind
Calm
1.3
UV Index
High
13.1h daylight

May

May is cool with highs of 22°C and lows of 10°C. Moderate rainfall (51 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

75 Very Good

Comfort

16°
Feels Like Cool
16°C
Temperature
10° 22°
59%
Humidity
Humid

Weather

51 mm
Rainfall
2.6 m/s
Wind
Calm
1.7
UV Index
Very High
14.3h daylight

June

June is mild with highs of 27°C and lows of 15°C. Light rainfall.

89 Excellent

Comfort

21°
Feels Like Mild
21°C
Temperature
15° 27°
46%
Humidity
Comfortable

Weather

25 mm
Rainfall
2.4 m/s
Wind
Calm
2.1
UV Index
Extreme
14.8h daylight

July

July is the warmest month with highs of 32°C and lows of 18°C. Light rainfall and mostly sunny skies.

95 Ideal

Comfort

25°
Feels Like Warm
25°C
Temperature
18° 32°
35%
Humidity
Comfortable

Weather

15 mm
Rainfall
2.3 m/s
Wind
Calm
2.3
UV Index
Extreme
14.6h daylight

August

August is warm with highs of 31°C and lows of 18°C. The driest month with just 10 mm and mostly sunny skies.

95 Ideal

Comfort

25°
Feels Like Warm
25°C
Temperature
18° 31°
36%
Humidity
Comfortable

Weather

10 mm
Rainfall
2.3 m/s
Wind
Calm
1.9
UV Index
Very High
13.6h daylight

September

September is mild with highs of 27°C and lows of 14°C. Light rainfall.

89 Excellent

Comfort

21°
Feels Like Mild
21°C
Temperature
14° 27°
48%
Humidity
Comfortable

Weather

27 mm
Rainfall
2.0 m/s
Wind
Calm
1.3
UV Index
High
12.3h daylight

October

October is cool with highs of 20°C and lows of 10°C. Moderate rainfall (47 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

73 Very Good

Comfort

15°
Feels Like Cool
15°C
Temperature
10° 20°
66%
Humidity
Humid

Weather

47 mm
Rainfall
2.1 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.7
UV Index
Moderate
11.0h daylight

November

November is cold with highs of 14°C and lows of 5°C. The wettest month with 54 mm of rain and partly cloudy skies.

65 Good

Comfort

10°
Feels Like Cold
10°C
Temperature
14°
79%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

54 mm
Rainfall
2.0 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.4
UV Index
Low
9.8h daylight

December

December is cold with highs of 11°C and lows of 3°C. Moderate rainfall (53 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

63 Good

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
11°
83%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

53 mm
Rainfall
2.0 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.2
UV Index
Low
9.2h daylight

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