national archeological museum (museo arqueologico nacional)

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this excellent archeological museum. They have really made an effort to present the finds in context with plenty of background description - also in English. We spent a good few hours here. The café in the basement was a fabulous stop for a light lunch, good selection, value for money and a nice outdoor space too.

Look, I'm really into history. As such, this place was really amazing, in the truest sense of the word. A remarkably detailed history of Spain from the pre-human days right up until the modern era, with tonnes of beautiful and fascinating artifacts - and with a short video summary at the start of each wonderfully organised era, which serves as an excellent way to get an overview if you don't want to traipse through the whole exhibit. Featuring information about Roman Spain, the Muslim Caliphate, the Kingdoms of the peninsula and the eventual formation of Spain as the country we know today, I have rarely learnt so much in one visit - and for €3 entry... Well, I was there for 4 hours. So, good value.

After the four year modern reform that has taken place, it now stands as one of Madrid's most beautiful and interesting Museums. Keeps several jewels of art, among which the "Dama de Elche" or the Visigothic gold Crown of Recesvinthus stand up.

This museum does not seem to appear on the short list of 'must-see' attractions in Madrid, but I feel it should be. This modern museum houses representative elements from the history of Spain which spans from pre-Roman, Roman, Moorish, Jewish, and Christian periods. The beauty of this museum is that many articles are open and not protected behind glass. One could touch the statues, sculptures, tapestries and carved art works.. but there are signs warning one not to venture within 20 cm. Entry fee was €3! When I was there during a weekday, there were well-behaved student groups but other than them, was not crowded. Easily reachable close to center city by Madrid's extensive Metro system.

It´s been totally redesigned in a modern and interactive way. Very good the areas related to our prehisory and roman times.

Liked the interactive displays very much. The process allows you to see these from start to finish on your schedule. Loved the layout. Could have spent an entire day there!

Amazing collection and everything is very well displayed and arranged. Wifi audio guide too. Well worth it, and a bargain. Do it!

This museum was closed for refurbishment the last we visited and boy what a brilliant job they have completed on the place . Particular good our the introduction videos to each room and for particular sections and since everything is in English as well as Spanish it makes the whole experience easier. The prehistory videos and the early colonisation of Spain plus the later rise of the Catholic monarchs and how that effected the big changes in the 15th and 16th century s were very impressive. It's a place one needs more than one visit. .

so much more than your average archelogical museum this is a history of man's evolution from prehistory through to recent history with some fabulous exhibits and lots of information given using multimedia. It's big,so allow plenty of time, but there are areas to sit and relax in, necessary if you want to see as much as possible.

This is a very nice museum that has been renovated and has a high standard now. It covers different periods of time, since pre-history. You will find plenty of interesting and beautiful objects and artifacts to enjoy and learn from Spanish and global history. As it stays open until 8pm, it may be a good option for a late afternoon visit, let's say, from 5 to 8pm, having dinner after it (local dinner time is late). This is a big museum that deserves about 3 or 4 hours to be seen in a more complete way. However, you can download the free app of the museum ("MAN Museo Arqueológico Nacional") on your smartphone and use the free Wifi connection to follow some of the museum highlights with short audio explanations. I was able to see all the highlights and enjoy several other parts of the museum in 2 hours. The museum is also inexpensive, with tickets for only 3 euros.

A beautiful museum and definitely worth a visit. You could spend all day here or just a couple hours and focus on what interests you most. There is a ton of artifacts presented and some pretty good information for each piece. We were very happy to see both Spanish and English descriptions. They offer an audio guide which I would have gotten if I had more than 2-3 hours to spend here. Be sure to pick up the floor plan map which indicates the 'must sees'. There really is something for everyone to enjoy (sculptures, money, pottery, jewelry, tapestries, religious articles, furniture, mummy coffins, etc) . Three and 1/2 floors cover everything from prehistoric to 19th century. The two upper floors are the most interesting. What's enjoyable is to see just how Spain/Iberia was influenced by the Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Celtics, etc. My personal favorites were seeing the Mosaics and the Mudejar wood and plaster carvings. A couple things were disappointing: first, there were way too many loud/disruptive students there for class trips (they really should limit the number of these groups allowed in at any one time), and second, the videos which were too slow and at a very elementary level. Also, the Altamira cave replica was not impressive at all. Overall though, highly recommended if you like history.

I cannot give this a rating because it was closed to the public for renovation. Hopefully I will have another opportunity to return to Madrid and see the Museum.

I last visited this museum around forty years ago when my chief recollection was of the staff taking siestas outside on benches. Things have changed very much for the better since then! I gather that the museum has been closed for some time for renovation and I have to admit that the effort that has been put into it has been well worth the wait. The permanent displays extend over three floors and the exhibits, which are not confined to Spanish history, cover the period from prehistory to modern times although, as one would expect, the Spanish objects take pride of place. It is particularly pleasing to find the captions to the exhibits are in both Spanish and English unlike the Museo de America which confines itself to Spanish and has only a tiny guide book in English. A big bonus as far as I was concerned was that the lighting is good enough for photography even though flash is not allowed. The displays are imaginative and the range of excellent objects extensive. One last delight was the very good café which provides cheap good quality food and drink.

This used to be a depressing place, but what a change since it reopened after several years undergoing a major facelift. Now it is a joy to visit and probably the most enjoyable museum in Madrid. Great collection. Mustn't miss the Dama de Elche.

My friends and I paid three euros each for admittance to the National Archeological Museum, which I felt was less impressive than some of the free exhibits we attended during our stay. The staff were rather strict and we were told a number of times to be quiet, even though the place was fairly empty and we were not being disruptive in our appreciation of the displays. There was plenty to see and the open-plan top floor with the glass roof was rather stunning, but I felt the museum could have been a lot better.