Museo del Ferrocarril de Madrid

About the museum

The Museo del Ferrocarril de Madrid occupies the former Madrid-Delicias station, which opened on 30 March 1880 in the presence of Alfonso XII and Queen María Cristina. It was built by the company of the Ciudad Real to Badajoz railway, to a design attributed to the French engineer Émile Cachelièvre, and was the first great monumental station in Madrid. It later passed to the companies MZA and MCP.

Passenger services ended on 30 June 1969 with the night express to Badajoz. Renfe approved the closure in 1970, but the site continued to operate as a freight station until the early 1980s. The museum opened to the public on 19 December 1984 and now depends on the Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles.

The permanent exhibition traces key moments in railway history: steam, diesel and electric traction, infrastructure and track, railway traffic control and the importance of time on the railways. The central hall houses locomotives, passenger carriages and platforms; the other rooms contain historic rolling stock, clocks, the history of the station itself, toys and model railways, and in the attic is the Territorio Ferroviario model, presented as the largest in Spain. Outside, vehicles and the Algodor interlocking are on display.

Highlights

• Central hall of the 1880 station with steam, diesel and electric locomotives
• Territorio Ferroviario, a dynamic model presented as the largest in Spain
• Clock room and the room for toys and railway modelling
• Talgo II “Virgen de Aránzazu” and Renfe's first electronic ticket-sales system
• Outdoor area with vehicles and the Algodor interlocking

Permanent exhibition

• Exposición permanente – A tour of railway history with locomotives, carriages, infrastructure, clocks, toys and model railways in the central hall, the rooms and the outdoor area of the former Delicias station.

Founded

1967

Operated by

Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles

Admission & discounts

Admission includes the permanent exhibition and the temporary exhibitions. Unemployed people from the EU, staff of companies in the Foundation's network, holders of railway staff cards from Renfe, Adif or Eusko Trenbideak, and members of ICOM and other museum associations also enter free. Discounts are checked at the ticket office with a valid official document; payment is in cash or by card.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum states that it has an adapted route; no further features are detailed.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Baby changing facilities

Interactive game “Marco Topo” for children aged 6 to 12 (€1.25, entry ticket not included) and the scavenger hunt “175 años de ferrocarril en Madrid”, free with admission. School groups can combine their visit with workshops, a ride on the model train in the railway park, or a theatre performance.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Wi-Fi

Bookshop and cloakroom. Free wifi zone. Baby-changing facilities and a defibrillator are available.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 2,800 guests.

Spaces for corporate and private events: the central hall, the Fomento hall, the Arganzuela room, the María Cristina room, the Javier Aranguren/Juan B. Cabrera room and the outdoor track area. Maximum capacity of 2,800 people for a cocktail reception in the central hall.

Plan your visit