Museo Arqueológico Nacional

Over het museum

The Museo Arqueológico Nacional was founded in 1867 by Isabella II, following the model of the great national museums of Europe. Its aim was to bring together in one institution the antiquity collections scattered across various establishments, to represent the history of Spain from its origins to more recent times, and to offer a view of the ancient civilisations of the rest of the world. The idea drew on the rise of archaeology and on concern to protect a heritage threatened by invasions, wars and the confiscation of Church and communal property (desamortizaciones).

Between 1867 and 1893 the museum temporarily occupied the Casino de la Reina, a former pleasure estate near the Glorieta de Embajadores. Its permanent home is the Palacio de Biblioteca y Museos Nacionales, a new building conceived in 1860 on the Prado de Recoletos, whose construction took more than thirty years and three architectural designs before it was completed in 1892.

Between 2008 and 2014 the nineteenth-century building underwent a comprehensive renovation and the permanent exhibition was reinstalled. The spaces were reorganised more rationally and accessibly, the public area was extended with a reception area and new services, and the museography was renewed. The museum closed to the public in July 2011 and reopened on 1 April 2014.

The permanent exhibition follows a chronological route through prehistory, protohistory, Roman Hispania, Late Antiquity, the medieval world and the early modern period. It is supplemented by sections on the ancient Near East, Egypt and Nubia, Greece and coinage.

Hoogtepunten

• Chronological route from prehistory to the early modern period
• Sections on Egypt and Nubia, the ancient Near East and Greece
• Coin collection
• Palacio de Biblioteca y Museos Nacionales, a 19th-century building
• Touch stations and multimedia guide with sign language

Vaste collectie

• Exposición permanente – Chronological tour of prehistory, protohistory, Roman Hispania, Late Antiquity, the medieval world and the early modern period, with sections on the Near East, Egypt and Nubia, Greece and coinage.

Opgericht

1867

Beheerder

Ministerio de Cultura (museo estatal)

Directie

Andrés Carretero Pérez

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Gratis toegang: Free for everyone on Saturdays that are not public holidays from 14:00, on Sunday mornings, on 18 April (Day of Monuments and Sites), on 18 May (International Museum Day), on 12 October and on 6 December.

Free entry also for teaching staff, unemployed people, official tourist guides and journalists on duty, members of the museum’s Friends association and of ICOM, among other groups, with accreditation. An annual card is sold at the ticket office and the Bono Cultural Joven is accepted.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Indoor spaces without architectural barriers, accessible toilets, wheelchairs at the cloakroom, induction loops and folding chairs in the galleries. There are tactile plans of the permanent exhibition, touch stations with Braille text, plans and leaflets in easy-to-read language, sensory backpacks and a free electric vehicle for visitors with reduced mobility. The multimedia guide includes content in Spanish Sign Language and a route for visually impaired people, and visits with a sign language interpreter are scheduled. Nearby public car parks have reserved spaces.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Verschoonruimte

The museum runs workshop visits, storytelling sessions and theatre performances for families with children aged 4 to 12, often at weekends. Baby changing facilities, a breastfeeding room and baby seats are available.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Cycle lane on Calle de Serrano. Tourist buses have a signposted stop at Plaza de Colón (on the pavement of Calle de Goya); parking in the bus lane in front of the museum is not permitted.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel
• Garderobe
• Kluisjes

Café in the entrance hall, with a terrace, open without a ticket. Cloakroom and lockers in two sizes. Water fountain and writing tablets.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur

The conference room, lecture hall, state rooms, reception area and garden can be hired, and private visits can be arranged outside normal opening hours. Private promoters must sign an agreement and pay the official fees; the request must be submitted at least 30 working days in advance.

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