Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas

Our motto is "Design our environment". It supposes the conception of design as a "matrix concept", in the light of which it is intended to analyse past and present life and history. MNAD raises the need to actively participate in the creation of a quality vital environment based on social responsibility.

In 1912 the National Museum of Industrial Arts was created, which from the 1930s was renamed the National Museum of Decorative Arts.
The founding Royal Decree made clear the pedagogical role that the museum had to fulfill, in line with what was happening in other European museums such as South Kensington (now Victoria & Albert) in London or the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris.
The Museum was installed, at first, in a flat on Sacramento Street with a founding collection made up of pieces from other museums and institutions that was quickly growing thanks to its first director, Rafael Domènech.
Soon the facilities became too small to house the funds and it was decided to change its location to the Higher School of Education, the site of the current Museum.
It is a mansion built by José María Gómez in 1878 on behalf of the Duchess of Santoña (Mª del Carmen Espinosa), it was acquired by the State in 1941.
Of its primitive physiognomy, part of the original red brick and granite façade is preserved, the collection of Italian mosaic paving by Pellerín and Domenico and the imperial white marble staircase decorated with medallions of effigies of men of culture and the arts.
The museum collections are very heterogeneous; ceramics and porcelain, glass, furniture, fabrics, carpets and tapestries, silverware, artistic iron, jewelry, sculpture, leather, a large number of accessories such as fans and other objects of daily life, graphic document, photographs. They comprise about 70,000 objects from a very long period of time, of different materials, techniques or functions. The pieces reflect the decorative styles, artistic relationships and imports of everyday and luxury objects throughout the centuries, although the best represented centuries are the 17th, 18th and 19th. To all this there is the oriental collection and the Avant-garde design collection.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Museum is undergoing a comprehensive transformation process.

Our main challenge is to become an open museum to everyone. We want to be an accessible space babies, mothers, children, elderly, where mobility is not an obstacle for the visit. But the historic building in which we stand is thought the mentality of the nineteenth century is no easy task and reinvent. We are also working to remove barriers to access to information, we hope that soon all our facilities, services and activities have the appropriate devices for it.

We believe that the museum can become an active agent of social inclusion. As a challenge, ours takes time and enthusiasm. But, gradually, we can offer new and visible changes.

HOW TO REACH

GETTING HERE

BUS: Lines 1, 2, 5, 9,10, 14, 15, 20, 27, 34,37, 45, 51, 52, 53, 74, 146 and 150 stop at Plaza de Cibeles; and 1, 2, 9, 15, 19, 20, 28, 51, 52, 74 and 146 stop at Plaza de la Independencia.

METRO: Banco de España and Retiro (L2).

TRAIN (RENFE) CERCANÍAS: Recoletos station.

BICYCLE: BiciMad docking station 65 in C/Antonio Maura and station 86 in Plaza de la Independencia. Bicycle lane in C/ Serrano.

PARKING: C/ Montalbán, 1.

ADMISSION

ADMISSION

Free admission until the end of september.
Every Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. from October
GENERAL: 3 €.

REDUCED: 1,5 €.

ANNUAL CARD: 25 €.

FREE: Saturdays from 2:00 p.m., Sundays
and holidays: 18 April · 18 May · 12 October ·
· 6 December.
Reduced and free admission: Ask for further information at the Ticket Office.