Prado Floor Plan: what to see on each floor
The Prado is one of the largest museums in the world and its collection can be overwhelming without a clear map. This guide will tell you what is on each floor, where to find Las Meninas (room 012), Goya's Black Paintings and Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, so you can make the most of your visit even with limited time.
The two buildings of the Prado
The museum is organised across two interconnected buildings:
- Villanueva Building (Juan de Villanueva's neoclassical structure, 1785): houses the bulk of the permanent collection across its three floors.
- Jerónimos Building (Rafael Moneo's 2007 extension, incorporating the Gothic cloister): contains additional permanent collection galleries, temporary exhibitions, the restaurant and the shop.
What to see on each floor
| Ground floor (0) · Villanueva | 16th-century Italian painting, classical sculpture, decorative arts collection and Goya's Black Paintings (Saturn, The Pilgrimage to San Isidro). Large-format Rubens works are also here. |
|---|---|
| Main floor (1) · Villanueva | The heart of the collection: Velázquez (room 012, Las Meninas), Bosch (room 056A, The Garden of Earthly Delights), Titian, Raphael, Fra Angelico, Tintoretto, El Greco, Zurbarán and Murillo. This is the most visited floor. |
| Second floor (2) · Villanueva | 19th-century Spanish painting, drawings and prints collection, and access to the Villanueva building's temporary exhibitions. |
| Jerónimos Building | Permanent collection galleries with sculpture and new acquisitions, the restored Gothic cloister, large-format temporary exhibitions, restaurant and shop. |
The exact location of certain works may change due to conservation or rehang. Confirm the day's floor plan at the entrance or on the room panels.
The must-see rooms (and what to look for in each)
You don't need to see everything. These are the essential stops on any visit to the Prado:
- Room 012 — Las Meninas (Velázquez, 1656). The pinnacle of Spanish painting and one of the most analysed works in art history. Look at the mirror in the background, the light coming through the open window and Velázquez's direct gaze. The painting changes completely depending on the distance from which you view it.
- Room 056A — The Garden of Earthly Delights (Bosch, c. 1490–1510). The Prado's most enigmatic triptych: Paradise, the Earth of Pleasure and Hell. Take time with the details: every centimetre contains figures, symbols and scenes to discover.
- Goya rooms (ground floor and floor 1). The Black Paintings on the ground floor; The Third of May 1808 and The Shootings on floor 1; tapestry cartoons and royal family portraits in the central gallery. A tour of Goya alone is worth the visit.
- Titian room (floor 1). Charles V on Horseback at the Battle of Mühlberg, the most influential portrait in European painting. Philip II and the Venus of Urbino complete a room of exceptional quality.
- Rubens (ground floor). The Three Graces is the Flemish master's most reproduced painting. The large size of the gallery and the scale of the canvases create a physical experience very different from the Spanish painting rooms.
- El Greco (floor 1). The Knight with His Hand on His Breast, The Trinity and The Adoration of the Shepherds are the most representative works of the Cretan artist who settled in Toledo. His use of colour and proportion is unmistakable.
Get more out of your visit with a guide
A guided tour takes you straight to the key works and explains them so you never lose your bearings between floors.
See guided tour →⏳ Time-slot places are limited. Lock in your time · free cancellation.
Tips for your visit
- Start on the main floor (Velázquez, Bosch): it is the most visited, so go early in the morning.
- Pick up the floor plan at the ticket desk or download it beforehand: the room numbering is not entirely intuitive.
- Allow at least 2–3 hours for an essential visit; if time is tight, prioritise room 012, room 056A and the Goya rooms.
- The museum closes on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December; check the updated hours.
Frequently asked questions
Which room is Las Meninas in?
Velázquez's Las Meninas is displayed in room 012 on the main floor (floor 1) of the Villanueva building, in the 17th-century Spanish painting gallery.
Where are Goya's Black Paintings?
On the ground floor (floor 0) of the Villanueva building, in the rooms dedicated to Goya. Saturn Devouring His Son and The Pilgrimage to San Isidro are the most striking.
Where is The Garden of Earthly Delights?
In room 056A on the main floor, alongside other works by Bosch and 15th- and 16th-century Flemish painting.
Where are the temporary exhibitions?
Mainly in the galleries of the Jerónimos Building (Moneo's extension) and on the second floor of the Villanueva building.
Content reviewed by the Ticket Visit team · June 2026.
