When the last lazy visitors leave the Prado Museum, the moment longed for by many of those who have visited the Madrid Art Gallery arrives. Being able to see his works alone, or almost. Enjoy, for example, the menines, by Diego Velázquez, without having to make his way to find himself in front of them. It can be overwhelming walking through the museum’s central gallery with only a few people around. A sensation that is repeated when you pass through the rooms of the nearby Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in the early morning, before its doors open.
These private visits are available to anyone who wants them and, of course, can pay for them. Or for those companies that want to amaze customers and collaborators with events in locations rich in art and history. For museums, they represent a source of extra income to cover their activities, as well as a way to reach a wider audience, have relevance, be the scene of prestigious events and strengthen institutional and business relationships, as the sources consulted explain.
This newspaper contacted seven of the most important Spanish museums to find out how much they earn from this type of private activity, be it visits or sales of spaces. Only one of them, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (Macba), did not provide the data.
It is precisely a museum based in Barcelona which, among those consulted, received the most money from the sale of the spaces in 2024. It is the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), which raised just over 1,200,000 euros, around 6% of the total takings, with 60 external events. The most popular activities are company dinners at the Absis restaurant and events in the Oval Room, which are estimated to be attended by around 25,000 people. The cost of this room is approximately 40,000 euros plus VAT, including one day of assembly and the use of the adjacent spaces. One of the last events organized there, and undoubtedly the one that aroused the greatest expectations, was the presentation at the beginning of the month of Rosalía’s new album, Lux. As for private visits, last year they were enjoyed by 580 people. In this case the fee applied is 2,000 euros for opening a collection for one hour, to which the guide’s fees must be added.
4,000 euros to visit the Prado
Returning to the meninesthe room where they are exhibited in El Prado, number 12, is the most expensive to rent. Using it for up to three hours costs 21,000 euros. The Madrid art gallery has a wide price range depending on the spaces. The rate for the cheapest ones is 3,000 euros. You can also have a private visit without having to organize an event. In this case the price is 4,000 euros for groups of up to 25 people who wish to see the permanent collection or temporary exhibitions outside opening hours. In 2024 the museum earned 1,130,380 euros from private events, including visits, which represents 3% of its revenue, which amounts to 37.2 million. The rest, up to $85.2 million in total revenue, corresponds to public subsidies, according to published accounts.
Crossing the sidewalk, on Madrid’s Paseo del Prado, lies another summit of what is known as the Art Triangle. This is the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which in 2024 had revenues from the sale of spaces and private visits for 1,125,530 euros, which represents 10% of the total. In this case, the most expensive location to rent is the central atrium, with prices ranging from 21,000 to 29,500 euros, plus VAT, depending on the number of people attending, from 250 to 800. For their part, the cost of a private visit once the museum is closed varies from 5,500 euros for 50 visitors to 12,000 euros for 300. Same activity, tomorrow at 9, before opening, has a price range that goes from 525 euros, for a group of seven people, to 2,500 if there are 40 members.
Visiting the Thyssen in private at the beginning of the day is the proposal that The Palace hotel in Madrid makes to its guests. The luxury structure, located a few meters away, offers a one-night package in a double room with breakfast and guided tour at 9 in the morning starting from 900 euros. It also offers a thematic itinerary among the works of the Gastronomy collection, followed by brunch Sunday enlivened by Sunday opera music. The price for two people is 723 euros, without accommodation. “We see a growing interest on the part of our guests to live experiences that go beyond what can be found in a tourist guide. And the possibility of enjoying this visit arouses enormous fascination,” says Paloma García, director of marketing and communications of the property.
The program at the Four Seasons in Madrid is similar, for both guests and non-guests. In this case, a four-course menu, inspired by the works of art seen, is added to the closed-door visit of the Gastronomy Collection. It can be enjoyed starting from midday at El Patio and is priced at 825 euros for two people.
Him Guernica only for 1,202 euros
The third summit of Madrid’s artistic triangle is the Reina Sofía Museum. In terms of space sales, this art gallery recorded 902,804 euros, 8% of its revenues, and the auditoriums of the Nouvel Building are the most requested for corporate events. Private visits to the collection and temporary exhibitions also arouse great interest, according to the institution which hosts, among other works, the Guernica by Pablo Picasso. In 2024 the income from this activity was 182,546 euros (1.5% of the total). As stated in the Official State Gazette (BOE), the price for a group of up to ten people is 1,202 euros per hour.
In the capital, the Royal Collections Gallery, managed by National Heritage, opened its doors in 2023. Last year, 53 events took place there, usually the relocation of spaces plus a visit to the collection. Almost half used the auditorium, which costs 4,500 euros for three hours or 14,000 euros for the whole day. For its part, the large terrace, with an impressive panoramic view, starts from 8,000 euros, while the price of the room which houses fragments of the city’s Arab walls starts from 4,500 euros. The Gallery also hosted 15 uneventful private tours. In this case the price is 5,000 euros for an hour or an hour and a half. The total revenue from events was 733,382 euros.
A more particular case regarding the transfer of spaces is that of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. “Participation in the Corporate Members Program gives access to the exclusive privilege of organizing events at the museum,” explains the institution, adding that “exceptionally” they can organize non-profit events or conferences not linked to corporate brands. In 2024, 136 private events were organized, for which the organization did not provide specific revenue data. “The burden of renting spaces in itself It is not relevant, it represents about 1.3% of total income. This activity constitutes one of the pillars of the aforementioned program, which represents 16% of the total.” According to the audit report of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Foundation, which is in charge of managing and directing the center, in 2024 the total revenue was 39,460,347 euros. At the Guggenheim there is no possibility of private visits outside the scope of the events hosted by the museum.
