Regional Archaeological Museum of the Community of Madrid Museum

Address: C/ Jovellanos 2, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Community of Madrid, Spain

Website: http://www.comunidad.madrid/servicios/cultura/

Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-2pm and 4pm-8pm, Sun 10am-2pm, closed Mondays (hours may vary seasonally)

Admission: Adults €3-€5 (approx.), discounts for students/children; some temporary exhibits may carry extra fees

The Regional Archaeological Museum of the Community of Madrid (Museo Arqueológico Regional) is located in Alcalá de Henares and functions as the principal archaeological museum for Spain’s Madrid autonomous community. The museum is housed in the 19th-century Palacio Laredo, a notable neo-Mudéjar building.

Exhibitions present material from prehistory through the Roman and Visigothic periods into the medieval era, with galleries arranged to follow the region’s long archaeological sequence. Displays include ceramics, stone tools, inscriptions and architectural remains collected from sites across the region.

The museum occupies the restored Palacio Laredo and opened in its current form to present a consolidated regional collection and regular temporary exhibitions. It supports research, education and outreach related to the archaeology of the Community of Madrid.

The museum is in the historic city of Alcalá de Henares, approximately northeast of central Madrid, and is accessible by regional rail and road links.

• Building and role: Housed in the 19th-century Palacio Laredo in Alcalá de Henares, the museum serves as the regional archaeological museum for the Community of Madrid.
• Collection range: Collections range from prehistoric finds through Roman and Visigothic material to medieval and later artefacts, illustrating the region’s long habitation.

What to See#

• Palacio Laredo (museum building): A 19th-century neo-Mudéjar palace that houses the museum’s permanent exhibitions and public spaces.
• Main archaeological galleries: Galleries presenting prehistoric, Iberian, Roman and medieval material from across the Community of Madrid, organized chronologically.

The museum is in Alcalá de Henares, about 35 km northeast of central Madrid. From Madrid, take the Cercanías C-2 train to Alcalá de Henares and then a short taxi or a 20-30 minute walk to the museum. Driving via A-2 is straightforward; follow signs to Alcalá’s historic centre.

• Visit on weekdays to avoid school-group crowds that swell at weekends.
• Allow time for the coin and numismatics room and the archeological finds from nearby sites - they're often overlooked.
• The museum is outside central Madrid in Alcalá de Henares; combine it with a visit to Alcalá's historic university town.