Museo del Prado:

Located in an 18th building designed by Juan de Villanueva, the Prado is considered one of the most important art galleries in the world. It houses masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Zurbarán, Ribera, Titian, Raphael, Botticelli, Fra Angélico, Rubens, Bosch, Van der Weyden, Poussin, Lorrain, Watteau, Rembrandt, Dürer and Mengs, among others.

Paseo del Prado.
Metro: Banco de España & Atocha.
Open: 9 AM to 7 PM; Sunday 9 AM to 2 PM. Closed: Monday.
Telephone: 91 3302800

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza:

This museum houses a splendid collection ranging from primitive Flemish to contemporary works. More than 800 paintings and sculptures, carvings, tapestries and other items are displayed.

Villahermosa Palace, Paseo del Prado, 8.
Metro: Banco de España.
Open: 10 AM to 7 PM. Cloed: Monday.
Telephone: 91 4203944 & 91 3690151

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía:

A cultural center containing a permanent collection of Spanish contemporary art and offering a wide variety of temporary exhibitions covering diverse modern artistic disciplines such as painting, sculpture, video, photography, films, etc.

Calle Santa Isabel, 52.
Metro: Atocha.
Open: 10 AM to 9 PM; Sunday 10 AM to 2:30PM; Closed: Tuesday.
Telephone: 91 4675062 & 91 4674761

Museo Cerralbo:

A private collection including archeological artifacts, porcelains, tapestries and paintings from different periods.

Calle Ventura Rodríguez, 17.
Metro: Plaza de España & Ventura Rodríguez.
Open: 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM; Sunday 10 AM to 2 PM; Closed: Monday & Holidays.
Telephone: 91 5473646

Palacio Real:

The royal palace is no longer used as a residence, but it has been kept intact since it last functioned as home to the king, primarily serving as a tourist attraction. The entire palace is not open to the public, but most of the more important rooms can be visited. The palace is interesting in its own right, in particular its architecture and gardens (there are two, the Jardines del Moro and the Sabattini gardens). There are also some excellent frescos inside the palace by Tiépolo, and paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, El Greco, Juan de Flandes and Caravaggio, among others.

Calle Bailén.
Metro: Opera.
Open: October to March 9 AM to 5 PM; Sunday and Holidays 9 AM to 2 PM; April to September 9 AM to 6 PM; Sunday and Holidays 9 AM to 3 PM. Closed when official acts are held.
Telephone: 91 5420059