About this place
The National Museum of Natural Sciences (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales) in Madrid is one of Europe's leading institutions dedicated to biodiversity, geology, and the history of life on Earth. Located at Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, near the Paseo de la Castellana, it has spent more than two centuries building one of the country's most significant scientific collections.
How did the museum come to be?
The institution's roots go back to 1771, when King Charles III founded the Real Gabinete de Historia Natural (Royal Cabinet of Natural History). Its founding collection came from a donation by the Spanish merchant Pedro Franco Dávila. In 1815 the cabinet was reorganized as the Real Museo de Historia Natural, and the museum has carried its current name, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, since 1913. Today it operates under Spain's National Research Council (CSIC).
What is on display inside?
The museum holds close to 8 million specimens, spanning fossils, mammals, invertebrates, birds, fish, insects, tissue and DNA samples, palaeobotanical material, and reptiles. One unusual holding is the Zoological Sound Library, a collection of animal recordings used in biological research.
The exhibition route moves through galleries on paleontology, mineralogy, Mediterranean ecosystems, and present-day fauna. Dinosaur skeletons and other fossils trace more than 4.5 billion years of Earth's history across successive geological eras. A separate section is devoted to the history of science itself, displaying antique magnifying glasses, one of the oldest surviving compound microscopes, old scientific balances, barometers, laboratory equipment, and electroscopes.
When can visitors go?
The museum opens Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 10:00 to 20:00. It is closed on Mondays, except when a Monday falls on a public holiday. It also closes on January 1 and 6, May 1, and December 25. During August, hours are shortened to 10:00–15:00.
Is admission free?
Free entry applies to certain groups, including visitors aged 65 and over, children under 4, and people with a certified disability, among other cases. Because the exact conditions and current ticket prices can change, it is worth checking the museum's official website before a visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is the museum located? At Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, close to the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, inside a building that belongs to the CSIC scientific research campus.
How old is the museum? Its history spans more than 250 years, tracing back to the Royal Cabinet of Natural History founded by Charles III in 1771, though it has held its current name only since 1913.
What is the biggest draw for visitors? The dinosaur and fossil gallery, which traces Earth's evolution across billions of years, alongside the collection of historic scientific instruments.
Can the museum be visited on a Monday? Generally no — it is closed on Mondays, except when the day falls on a public holiday.
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