Museum of History of Madrid

The Museo de Historia de Madrid is dedicated to telling the story of Madrid from its origins to the early 20th century.

Located at Calle Fuencarral, 78, in the former Hospicio de San Fernando, the Museo de Historia de Madrid is one of the best places to understand how the city became Madrid. The building itself is already part of the visit: an 18th-century Baroque façade by Pedro de Ribera, right in the middle of one of Madrid’s most active urban areas.

The museum’s collection focuses on the history of Madrid from the moment it became capital of Spain in 1561 through the early 20th century. Instead of only presenting “great art,” it shows the city through paintings, prints, maps, models, furniture, decorative arts, photographs, posters, and objects of daily life.

This is a museum for people who love cities. You’ll see Madrid not as a tourist destination, but as a living organism: how it expanded, how people dressed, how they celebrated, how power staged itself, and how urban life changed over time.